Of Noahs and Exorcists
by Luppi-tan
Summary: The war is over. The exorcists won. But alas, what is this growing darkness inside of Allen, and what will happen when he finds out? AllenxRoad, and others. Rated M for a good reason. Please read and review. I haven't gotten many and I really want more.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The war was over and the Earl, dead. Although several members of the Clan of Noah still existed out in the world, they had little purpose, and so they lived on as extraordinarily powerful and immortal humans. Most of them now were disbanded, trying to gain back the lives that they once had before they became Noahs, but finding it difficult to integrate back into society. Especially for Road, who was the oldest Noah, and who had become a Noah during the time of the Black Death, she knew very little about getting on in average modern society. After all, she had only needed to follow the Earl's lead for centuries, now, and now that she had nobody to follow, she wondered what she was really supposed to do.

Road had managed to pick up a job as a waitress in a bar. She hated her job, though. The men there were pigs, not like the Allen, who was a gentleman through and through. Always polite, always gentle and kind. She wondered what would happen if she followed Allen's request and sought him out now that the war was over. Had he really meant what he said about them being together after the war ended? But she didn't even know where he lived. It was probably too much to expect that he hadn't moved on with his life, and that he was still living in London. That would be optimistic to the point of idiocy. However, she still prayed every night, to any god that would listen to a degenerate human such as her, that she would one day run into Allen.

She thought back to how she was before the war ended. She was a monster in the truest sense of the word. Allen hadn't been exaggerating when he called her a monster. She had been a sadistic, vile menace, and she had deserved to be killed, along with all of the Noahs. She still deserved to die, and though she had not yet had reason to fight, she wouldn't even if given a reason. She figured that her life couldn't get much worse. She had no friends, no family, and she was stuck serving disgusting drunks dinner and beer so that they could get more drunk and become more disgusting. She couldn't count the number of times that someone had tried to grab her while she was trying to carry a goddamn tray! And then when she dropped the tray in shock, they would just laugh! Now she knew how it felt to be completely humiliated. She had humiliated exorcists dozens of times before she finally killed them, toying with them, making sure that their spirits were broken before she finally did them the favor of putting them out of their misery.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a man walked in, one arm covered in bandages and wearing a heavy black trench coat with a hood that had a fancy silver cross and silver buttons on it. Road looked up in shock, and tried to identify who it was beneath those heavy black cowls, but she could only see shadow across the face of the person. He looked over at her and waved, and she was sure that he smiled at her politely, but she couldn't tell because of how big the hood was. Just as another waitress was about to go over to him, Road ran over to her and pulled her aside.

"Can I please take this one?"

"What? No… Wait? Why?"

"N-no reason…" Road said, blushing slightly, her blue eyes darting away.

"Oh, I think I get it… This is one of those things in your past that you won't talk about, right? Sure. You can take him. I was about to go on a break, anyhow. I need a cigarette like nobody's business!"

"Those things'll kill you, Julie…" Road said with a wistful sigh. Julie smirked and said, "I'm counting on it. Now hurry up, before he gets impatient. And try not to flirt too much!"

Road turned bright red again, but nodded and turned away, walking over to the man and greeting him politely, and bringing him over to a table, putting a menu down in front of him.

"Would you like anything to drink?" She asked with a smile. The man smiled back and asked for some tea. Road nodded and hurried off.

She had no idea that she was going to run into Allen that day. If she had known, she would have at least tried to make herself look better. She had always glowed with a strange passion when she was a Noah, but now that she was just a regular human again, her aura was much dimmer, and seemed to be becoming downright dingy.

A few minutes later she walked back over to Allen's table, and put the tea down. Then she stood there for a moment, collecting herself before she said, "I don't think anyone has ever kept their hood up indoors like you are…" She didn't call him sir like she usually would with customers, but she also didn't call him by his name. She didn't really want to draw overmuch attention to the fact that she knew him already.

"And I don't think I've ever been stood up by a more beautiful woman…" Allen said politely, but with a definite air of coldness in it. Road was slightly taken aback at the hostility in his voice as he pulled back his hood and revealed his snow white hair, which had grown longer and messy since the war had ended. Allen was otherwise well groomed, but his face was slightly sunken, and he looked like he hadn't been eating well, and he had dark circles under his eyes, like he hadn't been sleeping well either.

"You look a mess, Allen, and you're getting kind of skinny."

"Didn't you hear what I said, Road? I'm not interested in you pretending to be my friend! After the war ended, my reason for living just seemed to vanish, and so I moved out of HQ and into a small house nearby! I've been expecting a visit, a call, or even a damn letter from you to let me know that you haven't just completely forgotten about me! I was worried that you had been killed or something, but then I heard a rumor that a girl of your description had taken a job in some dumpy bar (apparently, you're pretty popular here), and I decided I should at least check it out, and then here you are, and you act like nothing happened! Like we can just act as though a whole year _hasn't_ gone by since we last saw each other?" Suddenly, Allen picked up the tea violently and drank it in one gulp, standing up and storming out.

"Have a good life, Road! Just leave me out of it!" He yelled from across the room, throwing his hood back up and slamming the door behind him. For a minute, Road stood transfixed to the spot that she was standing, tears flooding her eyes, then she ran over to the owner and asked if she could leave a little bit early… Well, quite a bit early. She wasn't due to leave for another hour. The man nodded, though, and Road ran out after Allen. Even though it was dark, and raining, Road could still see him. She ran after him, calling his name, not caring that she was getting soaked, or that it was freezing cold out.

"Didn't I _just_ tell you to leave me out of your life! I had faith in you! I believed in you, that you weren't as evil and manipulative as you were made out to be! But you had everything planned with the Earl, didn't you! Capture me, gain my trust to give the Noahs an advantage in the war! I LOVED YOU! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME! THAT ISN'T THE KIND OF THING YOU LIE ABOUT!" Allen screamed at her, resisting the urge to hit her. He knew that if he hit her once, he wouldn't be able to stop. He wasn't normally a violent person, but she had really hurt him.

"That's really despicable, Road! Even for you! But I guess I was stupid to believe that the spawn of the devil could possibly feel an emotion like _love_!"

"It wasn't a lie! I do love you!" Road cried, rain mingling with tears. Her entire body was soaked, now, and she took a step toward Allen and grabbed his arm, refusing to let go until he listened to her.

"Let go of me, Road!" He said forcefully. The anger in his voice almost made her comply, but she didn't let go.

"No. Not until you listen to me! You don't understand!"

"What is there to understand! I thought that we had shared something special, but apparently, it was only another way for you to get what you wanted!"

"But I didn't get what I wanted, Allen. When the Earl fell, the Noahs all had to go into hiding separately, covering up our pasts, and creating new identities, pretending that we were normal people when we knew we were not. I took a job in this restaurant because I knew that it would be the last place that anyone from the church would look for me. I searched all over for you, but to no avail. I asked all over for someone of your description, but you look so different, now, I'm not too surprised that nobody responded positively to my inquiries. I stayed in London because that was the last place you were known to be, and I hoped that one day we would see each other again. I never forgot about you, though."

"Why the hell should I believe you?" Allen shouted. Road cringed at his harsh tone, completely different from his usually gentle and kind voice.

"I-I still have a picture of you in my wallet. I managed to hold onto it. Granted, it's from your personnel file at the Dark Order, please don't get mad at me for stealing your file…"

"Fine… Whatever. Where the hell do you _live_ anyhow! You must live nearby!" Allen said harshly, although his tone was much kinder than it had been a moment ago, showing more concern than anger.

"In an apartment on Haberdashery Street1." Road said quietly. Allen raised an eyebrow for a moment and then shook his head.

"You're living in that dump of a neighborhood! It isn't safe for a sixteen year old girl to be living there alone!" Allen yelled, looking at Road, who was now shivering in the rain. He sighed in resignation. He couldn't stay angry at her for long, and she looked like she was freezing. He hung his head, defeated, and removed his coat, handing it to her. Road looked at it for a moment and scowled.

"I'm _not_ sixteen, Allen! I'm over 500 years old, and I can take care of myself!"

"It doesn't matter how old you really are! You reside in the body of a sixteen year old girl, and as far as anyone is concerned, that's how old you are! Do you think some creep is gonna care whether you're sixteen or five hundred sixteen when he tries to rape you! Just put on my damn coat and come stay at my place for a while!" He said. Then, his face softened and he actually smiled. "I promised you that if the day came when philosophy no longer drove us apart, that we could be together. I intend to follow through on that…" He said, kissing Road on the lips as she put the jacket on hesitantly, noticing that now Allen was getting soaked. She did feel better, though. She looked back at her coworker, who was looking out at them, and stuck her tongue out, giving her the finger and grinning widely as she walked away with Allen.

Allen dug in his vest pocket for a key, rooting around among the many small pieces of junk that his pockets carried. Finally, he found the brass key, though, and put it into the keyhole, twisting it and pushing the door in. As the two got inside, though, they heard a sound coming from the kitchen. Road pulled out a dagger that she had hidden up her sleeve, and Allen looked around, turning on the light. When they got into the kitchen, though, it was merely Lenalee, Miranda, Crowley, Timothy, Tyki, Lulu Bell, Wisely, and Cyril, all sitting around the table, the exorcists all glaring at the former Noahs… Except for Timothy, who was grinning cockily at Lulu Bell and blushing slightly. Needless to say, Lulu had no idea how to handle this. Allen groaned and Road sighed, half in relief, and half in annoyance.

"I realize that you are annoyed that we are here, Road. However, we simply had to confirm for ourselves that a real live Romeo and Juliet situation had arisen right in 19th century London." Wisely said, showing his usual lack of regard for the privacy of others' thoughts. Cyril grinned and then looked venomously at Allen.

"So, Mr. Walker…" He said dangerously. "My little Road is quite smitten with you. Perhaps we ought to have one of those little 'talks' that a father is supposed to have with his daughter's boyfriend…"

"Right! Like we'd leave this sadist alone with Allen for ten seconds!" Lenalee said angrily. Cyril looked over at Lenalee and then smiled placatingly and rather flirtatiously,

"Hello, beautiful young lady. I don't believe that I've ever properly introduced myself." He said, bowing to Lenalee and kissing her hand. "I'm Cyril Kamelot. I was the minister of Portugal until just last year. Interestingly, the end of my term coincided with the final battle. I have to say, I don't think much of my successor, but he gets the job done, I suppose."

"Cyril! Must you really flirt with every remotely attractive woman in your line of sight!" Tyki snapped angrily, dragging Cyril away from Lenalee and apologizing to her.

"I apologize for my older, and much less intelligent brother's actions. He may be a flirt, but he's _mostly_ harmless, Miss Lee…"

"Sometimes I wondered why I hated the Noah Family, and now I realize that it's more than just differing philosophy. You guys are the rudest sacks of crap I've ever had the displeasure of meeting! _Remotely_ attractive am I!" Lenalee shrieked, activating her Innocence and jumping over the table, kicking both Cyril and Tyki at the same time. Then she kicked them each once more while they were on the ground and snorted. She would have left it at that, had Cyril not opened his big mouth.

"Hey, Lenalee-chan. Could you stay like that for a moment? I've got a great view of your panties from down here…"

In the next moment, Lenalee went from crimson red to enraged and shrieking bloody murder, kicking the crap out of Cyril, stomping on every available inch of his body. With each heavy stomp of her Dark Boots (which could attack with a force of over 44,000 tons), the entire group could hear Cyril's grunts of pain, until finally, Lenalee stopped, and Cyril sat up, groaning and complaining about a pain in his ribs. Once again, Lenalee snorted, and turned away from him disdainfully. She then went over and looked at Road carefully.

"Do the Noahs still have their powers?"

"Oh, yes… Although, our powers are tripled when the Noah Family is complete, including the Earl. That was why the Earl wanted the complete Noah Family before he attacked. Unfortunately, you managed to kill several of our brethren, and without the Earl as Adam, we are unable to find the Noahs. Although, Allen, you were the one who killed the Earl, right?" Tyki said with a smirk. Allen nodded suspiciously and looked around as the Noahs all bowed down to him… Well, all of the Noahs except for Road, who backed away slightly, apparently at a loss for words.

"Well, My Lord, it would seem then, if the Earl's own theory is correct, that the moment you killed the Earl with your Crown Clown, that you gained all of the Earl's powers. They may not yet have awakened, however, they are latent inside of you."

"So, d-does this mean that I have some telepathic connection with all of you?"

"To a degree. We can't actually read each other's thoughts. However, we do know where you are, as you know where we are. At least, you will when that power awakens. That's really all that I came to tell you. Cyril, come! We are leaving! I have no power over the rest of the Noahs, however, I suggest that you leave. If Allen was strong enough to defeat the Earl, he's easily strong enough to defeat you." Tyki said commandingly, grabbing Cyril and dragging him out.

"Miss Lee! Miss Lotto! Call meeeeee!" Cyril said as he was dragged out through the door into the muddy streets. Lenalee and Miranda looked at the other Noahs, who all walked out one by one, until only Wisely was left. Wisely smirked at Allen and narrowed his eyes.

"I understand. You don't want the responsibility of being the leader of the Noah Family. It's understandable. After all, even the Earl sometimes had trouble controlling all of us. What chance does a sixteen year old boy have? However, you _are_ now the Millennium Earl, and you will eventually take up his mantle… Because sooner… or later… the darkness always wins2."

A/N: There are a few things that I wish to discuss in this chapter. If you already know about them, please don't be insulted. If not, then you've learned something new.

A haberdashery is a shop that sells hats, buttons, ribbons, thread. However, it can also be used to describe a men's outfit shop.

"Sooner or later, the darkness always wins" is a spoof on a recurring theme in the Blade series, in which they say, "Sooner or later, the thirst always wins".


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It took a while, but eventually, Allen managed to convince everyone… Well, everyone except for Lenalee, that Road wasn't evil, and they left, although Lenalee left with great hesitance. Allen didn't blame her. Road had been a pretty sadistic person at one time, but Allen fully believed that Road had changed. Once everyone had finally left the house, Road turned around and smiled coyly at Allen, advancing slowly on him, pushing him gently against the wall, and holding him there firmly with her right hand as she ran her left hand through his hair. She had always loved his hair. Not only did it smell nice, like crushed mint leaves and a summer shower, but it was so soft that it felt more like fur than hair. She also liked the color. It was white, like a white fluffy cloud on a summer's day, or like a fresh coat of snow on the ground in early January. She took a small handful of it in her fingers and brought it up to her nose. It was still damp from the rain outside, and being able to smell it again after so long was so magnificent that she felt she could just melt right there, into his arms.

"Your hair is really beautiful, Allen…" Road said, kissing Allen sensually on the lips, holding him there for a moment before releasing him, still twirling the lock of hair around her pointer finger.

"Road? I've always wondered something. You said that you were fifteen when your Noah memories awoke inside you, right?" Allen asked, looking rather shy and almost afraid to find out the answer to his yet unasked question.

"Yes. That was a very long time ago, though," Road said. She didn't like to remember anytime before right after the Earl came and took her away. But Allen must have had an important reason to ask her this, or he wouldn't have done so. So, she resolved that no matter what the question was, she would answer it. Even if it hurt a little bit.

"I know. But, being so different from other humans, not subject to aging, or disease, or even physical damage, didn't you ever feel isolated? Like… Like you were… abnormal?"

"No. I can't say that I ever did feel like that. I was so out of place and isolated when I was a normal human that becoming a Noah was a blessing to me. To find out that I was special, that someone loved me, cared about me, and wanted me… It was the best feeling in the world. Why do you ask?"

"Well… I was born with the Innocence implanted in my hand, and my parents were apparently disgusted by it, and abandoned me, believing me to be deformed. Even while I travelled with Mana, I felt my arm was a curse, that it made me strange… Like a freak. I was so ashamed of it that I always wore an oven mitt over it so that nobody would see it. Then, Mana died, and the Earl made a deal with me, bringing Mana back as an Akuma, and my Innocence awoke that day, and destroyed Mana. After that, after seeing how monstrously powerful my arm was, I was terrified of it. I never wanted to see it again. I felt like maybe a demon had possessed it. But then my master explained that it was not the Devil, but God who had given me that arm, and that it was my duty as its owner to try and destroy the tortured souls of the Akuma. From then on, I at least knew that my arm had a purpose, but it was still hideous and grotesque, and I always hid it when I could."

"Oh, Allen…" Road said quietly, putting one arm over Allen's shoulder and one around Allen's side, holding him close to her as if afraid to let him go.

"You aren't a freak, and your arm isn't ugly. Some people just can't appreciate its beauty. Can't appreciate your beauty. You're probably the most wonderful person I've ever met. The other Noahs see me as family. The Exorcists see me as a monster, as do most humans. But you see me differently. You gave me a chance when nobody else would to prove that I'm not just a monster. I don't know what I'd do without you anymore. In the time that we were separated, I couldn't stop thinking about you. Thinking about how much I wanted to hold you, and kiss you… and be with you…" She whispered, her voice getting softer and gentler. Small tears filled the corners of her eyes as she cupped Allen's cheek in her hand and caressed it, stroking the red curse scar on it with the tips of her fingers. She loved everything about him. His hair, his left eye, his left arm… Everything. She put a hand over his chest and gently brushed along the fabric of his shirt, smiling at him as she leaned in to kiss him. Allen smiled back and breathed a sigh of contentment as he kissed Road in turn, wrapping his arms around her as well.

Slowly closing his eyes, he allowed himself to be ushered by Road into sweet oblivion, the two of them being the only ones that mattered. The outside world was irrelevant, now, as was everyone in it. Everything was nothing and vice versa, and nothingness was oh so sweet. The taste and the feeling of her lips on his made him feel as though he had found heaven on earth. Finally, after what may have been ten seconds or ten years, the two pulled away, causing Allen to feel rather cold. Before he could comment on that feeling, though, he kissed her again, and this time, did not break away, holding the kiss, and allowing his hands to roam her back, and run through her hair. Road sighed, feeling at complete ease in Allen's arms. She loved him so much, and finally, he was hers again. She had not felt so happy since long before the war ended.

Allen for his part, felt amazing, like he could fly, like he was lighter than air, and he was floating away up toward the heavens, never again to return to Earth. He felt like he was gently and aimlessly floating though space with Road, hand in hand, not caring about the insignificant worries and sufferings of the world below them. He had been elevated to a higher state of being, and it felt incredible, like a warm, tingling sensation coursing through his veins.

Slowly and languidly, like a smoothly flowing river, meandering its way across the countryside at its own pace in its own time, Road began to unbutton Allen's vest and pull on the end of the bow that he always wore around his neck, even as she continued to kiss him. As they pulled away, Road stared into Allen's clear blue eyes, seeing herself reflected in them. She had never considered herself to be very pretty. She found herself rather plain and dull, and although she was good at hiding her feelings of inadequacy, she couldn't help but wonder what Allen thought of her. Did he find her drab? Boring? Common? But if he did, why did he continue to act as though he loved her. Before Road could even stop herself, She shoved Allen off of her and cried out "NO! I CAN'T TAKE IT!"

Allen looked at her in shock, eyes wide with surprise. When Road finally got a hold of her senses again, she looked around and saw Allen standing there, completely dumbstruck. Then, he looked away and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Road." Allen said quietly, even though he couldn't understand what there was to be sorry for. He was so sure that Road was enjoying herself. Maybe he had just misunderstood.

"Allen!" Road said, holding out her hand for him to stop. Allen just looked at her, though, and walked out into the hall. Road ran after him and lunged at him just as he was about to walk through his doorway. For a moment, she felt sure that she was going to miss him, but then, her fingertips grazed his ankle, and she grasped as tightly as she could, holding onto his foot as she fell unceremoniously to the floor with a grunt and a thud, and as Allen fell after her, landing right on his face. He groaned and sat up, propping himself up on his hands, and looking at Road, who seemed desperate to tell him something.

"I'm sorry, Allen! It wasn't you! I was… just… D-do you… Think I'm ugly?" she asked, tears flooding her eyes. It was only now that Allen realized just why he had fallen in love with her in the first place. In spite of all her imperfections, all the sins that she had committed, she was so human to him… She seemed so real. The members of the Black Order were nice, but they all seemed so unreal, so exaggerated. Road's insecurities, Road's imperfections were what made her so incredible.

"Of course I don't. You're very pretty. Do you really have so little confidence in yourself…?" Allen asked with a smile, kissing Road again and pulling her into a hug. Road hung her head on Allen's shoulder, unable to stop crying. All the feelings that she had been holding in since she saw Allen in the tavern came flooding out all at once… Elation at seeing Allen again, fear of what he would say to her, concern for his wellbeing, insecurity at the thought of being considered ugly by Allen… All these and more came pouring out as she let hang her head on Allen's shoulder and she threw her arms around him, sobbing over him. Allen was happy to sit like this for as long as Road wanted, to allow her to cry as much as she needed.

Then, suddenly, Road sniffed and wiped away her tears, and although she still looked sad, she smiled weakly at him and kissed him again, continuing to unbutton his vest and pull it off of him. Allen staggered back slightly, unsure of himself now. Road merely got onto her hands and knees, pursuing him over to the edge of his bed and beginning to work on his shirt, working her way down his shirt, and un-tucking it, allowing his smooth, flat chest to be exposed to her. She ran her fingers over his sternum, slowly down toward his stomach, and settled around his navel, tracing small circles around it, smiling at Allen and pulling his shirt off of his shoulders, watching in satisfaction as it fell to the ground. Allen looked at Road, confused now.

"Are you sure about this, Road? W-we don't have to do this tonight i-if you don't want to…" Allen said weakly. Road shook her head and then continued on Allen, kissing him, and whispering "but I do want to."

Allen smiled and began to undo Road's blouse, one button at a time, revealing her breasts beneath. They were just as he remembered them, round and perfect. Even though it had been over a year since he had been with Road, he remembered every inch of her body almost as if it had been only yesterday. Road gasped as Allen's cool right hand touched her bare flesh, setting it tingling with latent electricity and emotion. Then, Allen removed her bra and cupped her breasts in his hands, massaging them again. It was like her whole body was on fire, and once again, the memories of that night that she had spent with Allen that she was sure were gone came rushing back into her mind, and she cried out in ecstasy with the mixture of touches both new and remembered. She remembered thinking back when she was young, when she was a child, that she could easily have died, and that nobody would even realize that she was dead until they smelled her rotting body. It was the worst feeling in the world, to know that not a single person alive cared about you, cared whether you lived or died. Now, though, she had friends. She had people who loved her, and people that she felt comfortable loving back.

Closing his lips around her nipple, Allen slid his tongue slowly over it, tracing around in small circles, occasionally flicking it, causing her to sigh or gasp once again. Allen could feel himself getting harder and harder in his pants as he continued. Allen smiled inwardly. Road's voice was so cute it was almost criminal, and he wanted so badly to hear more of it. And hear more of it he would, for he wasn't in a mood to be turned down at the moment. Somehow, some more primal side of Allen had been awakened since they started just half an hour before. Allen felt that he usually had pretty good control over his instincts, but right now, he wanted nothing more than to plow Road right into the ground, for lack of a more elegant way of phrasing it.

Allen's breathing rate increased and became more ragged and irregular as he continued to play with Road, reaching down between her legs and touching her pussy, causing Road to twitch with barely restrained pleasure. Road, for her part, was not doing much better than Allen, and was sure that if she didn't get a hold of herself, that she would start screaming at him to fuck her stupid in a moment. Even though that was what she wanted, she knew that for most people, just as much value was placed on the activity leading up to sex, heretofore referred to as foreplay, as was placed on the sex itself, or at least that was what she read in the book that she found in Cyril's personal library. Said book also contained several dozen sex positions, foreplay activities, and common fetishes. Road had never really placed much stock in what Cyril said. He was perhaps the most perverted and most disgusting people that she had ever met, and even though she cared about him… sort of… she was at the same time sickened by his tendency towards womanizing. Needless to say, however, Cyril's "hobby" did come in handy when she needed information on man pleasing.

Allen brushed his thumb upwards, and across Road's clit, causing the former Noah's breath to catch erotically in her throat. The feeling of Allen's touch against her most intimate parts, even through the thin fabric of her panties, was exquisite in the extreme, leaving Road desperate for more. With each touch and brush of Allen's hand, Road gasped and cried out in ecstasy, which in turn only left Allen wanting for more. Finally, Allen pulled off Road's panties and laid her down on the bed, looking between her legs at her already soaked pussy, into which he slowly stuck two fingers, and began tortuously prodding them in and out, listening with satisfaction to Road's cries of exquisite delight. Seemingly in no time at all, Road exploded all over Allen's hand, and he pulled out, at which point Road reversed their momentum and got on top of him, pulling his pants and boxers down in one go, and slowly taking his hardened cock into her mouth, licking all around it as she buried it to the hilt in her mouth and held it there for but a brief moment, leaving Allen to feel every last ounce of her hot, sensual breath on him. Road smirked as she felt his cock twitch in her mouth. Allen was holding back, she could tell. He was trying hard not to explode in her mouth. That just meant that she would have to try harder. She hummed softly as she worked her way up and down his shaft, caressing it at the same time with her tongue, and flicking the head playfully each time she reached it.

Each time she did this, she noticed with satisfaction, Allen's breath would hitch and he would give a small, barely noticeable jolt. She smirked and continued, and before long, Allen cried out with his release that he had so long been holding back, and came in Road's mouth so much that she nearly choked on it. Somehow, she managed to swallow most of it, though. Nonetheless, some of his semen dribbled down her chin and began to drip onto her chest, at which she looked down and swiped up with her finger, putting it in her mouth and sucking on it for a moment with a look of utmost satisfaction. Then, she looked down at Allen, noticing that he was still hard, and she pushed him down on the bed, holding his arms over his head so that he couldn't move, so that he was restrained in that position. Allen wasn't exactly fighting to get out, though, because in the next moment, Road impaled herself on Allen's rock hard dick, and buried it all the way inside, crying out in both pain and ecstasy as she did so. She then looked at Allen and leaned over him, kissing him passionately and beginning to thrust up and down on Allen's cock, moving faster and faster in time.

Before long, her entire lower half was a blur, as she thrust harder and harder, screaming Allen's name into the air as she did so, sweat flying off of her in all directions and landing in various places in the room, forever leaving their mark on his room, and a mixture of Allen and Road's love juices flowing out from inside of Road, and pooling underneath them on Allen's bed. With each thrust, Allen felt ecstasy abounding as he strove to meet her halfway. Finally, as the erotic chorus of their dual voices reached their crescendo, the two both came at the same time and Road collapsed on top of Allen, his cock still inside her.

"What do you say… Allen-kun?" Road asked, gasping for breath. "O-one more time? For luck?"

Allen nodded, and although sweat was pouring off of him in buckets as well, and he was also breathing heavily, Allen reversed their positions and put Road on her hands and knees and entered her one more time, and immediately began to thrust, holding her hips as he did so, grunting viscerally with each new slam against her, his chest and stomach on top of her back as he moved in and out of her. Road cried out in delight as he ravaged her body, in and out, in and out, barely able to keep from going absolutely insane, although insanity may not have been an unwelcome thing. She would have no way of knowing, as she had never really considered herself insane. After what could have been hours, or a mere ten or so minutes, Allen cried out again as he released inside her again, his cum spilling out from her pussy and leaking onto the bedding, at which point they collapsed, unable to move any further. Breathing raggedly, Allen smiled lovingly at Road, and the two fell asleep next to each other, falling into sweet nothingness until such a time as they should wake.

A/N: HI! Well, this is my third AllenxRoad fanfic! Needless to say, I'm fairly new at it, so please don't think too ill of me if I've done poorly. Personally, I _love_ this pairing. It is quite possibly one of my favorites, although IchigoxRukia, and KyonxYuki are definitely up there. In case you couldn't tell, this is a follow up for _This One Fleeting Moment_. I suggest that if you have gotten this far and don't understand any of the references that I made to that fanfiction, that you go back and read it. This one will still be there when you're done, as the first one is merely a oneshot. However, I seem to have digressed slightly from my original point, which was that I have enjoyed writing this fanfic immensely, and that I hope you enjoy reading it just as much.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Miss Kamelot… I'm glad to see you back…" Road's manager said politely, as Road walked through the door of the tavern where she was a waitress. Even though she hated her job, she felt a little bit obligated to continue it now that she was living with Allen. She didn't want to feel like a freeloader, so she kept her job, although she was thinking about cutting back on her hours.

"Yeah. Sorry about the other day… He… was an old friend with whom I lost contact."

"No problem. Table five needs a waitress. Why don't you go over there to start?"

Road looked over and saw, much to her chagrin, Yu Kanda, the exorcist sitting there, looking as irritated and bored as ever. His ability to regenerate damage done to him had been immensely helpful in the final battle. Even though he was killed three times, he just continued to get back up. So terrified of him were the Noahs that they began to make almost ridiculous mistakes and that gave Kanda just the opening that he needed to kill Mercym and Mightra. Not all of the Noahs were killed, as was apparent, but the Earl was killed, and therefore, the Noahs no longer had any reason to continue fighting. Road was sure that Kanda would react badly to her if she went over to his table. At the look of distress on her face, the manager grimaced. "I know he's a little bit scary looking, but I've seen him here before. He won't hurt you… I think the sword is just for show."

"Y-yeah… Right…" Road said, steeling herself for the impending confrontation, and walking over to Yu Kanda's table, standing before him and smiling politely, although she found that a nervous twitch had developed under her eye.

"Hi! My name's Road Kamelot. Can I get you anything to drink?" She asked brightly. Suddenly, and before Road could think to jump away, Kanda had unsheathed his sword and sliced her head off. He watched with grim satisfaction, his eyes not betraying a single emotion despite the fact that his face and clothes were covered in blood and the other customers were staring at them in abject horror.

Unfortunately, Yu Kanda wasn't the only one who could regenerate. Road's regeneration may not have been what it once was, when the Earl was in power, but simply cutting her head off wasn't going to kill her. To kill her, Kanda would probably have to cut all of her limbs, including her head off, burn them all separately in holy fire, put the fires out with holy water, and scatter the ashes in a graveyard or something like that. Slowly, Road's head began to grow back, much to the horror and disbelief of the customers, one of whom fainted, and several of the others vomited. Road cursed and then looked around, noticing that Kanda's little performance hadn't gone unnoticed. She hissed in fury at him and grabbed him roughly by the arm, her nails digging into the flesh of his wrists and dragged him bodily out of the restaurant and into the streets. Yu just barely had time to grab his coat before being whisked out the door.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Road shrieked, her face red with rage. Her entire body was shaking with anger, and she began to shake Kanda back and forth, slamming him against the restaurant wall. Despite Road's anger, though, Kanda seemed quite unabashed. Quite the contrary, he had folded his arms and was rolling his eyes as if vaguely wondering if the madwoman before him, who was easily a whole foot shorter than he, and probably little more than half his weight would stop soon, or if she would merely keep verbally and physically attacking him all day. Finally, he put his hand up and easily shoved Road away from him and advanced on her, drawing his sword and preparing to fight.

"What was I doing! _I_ was doing my job. Killing Noahs and Akuma is my job, and I happen to have grown to enjoy doing it. You people killed dozens of my comrades, and you've gripped the world in a vise of chaos for millennia. You don't deserve to live! What the hell are you doing here!"

"I work here!" Road cried, tears filling her eyes, and overflowing onto her cheeks, cascading down them, little trickles of water. "Although after that display of instant regeneration, my boss is sure to fire me! Do you have any idea how hard it was to get this job! I have no work experience, no practical knowledge of how to survive amongst the bourgeoisie1 in 19th century England, and no place to live! Getting this job in this tavern was my last hope, and you RUINED IT!" she shrieked, not even bothering to try to speak coherently anymore. People from outside were now staring at them as if they had four collective heads. When Kanda glared at them, though, they instantly moved on. Even though he didn't like Road, he felt a little bad for her, seeing her kneeling on the ground, sobbing like she was. Maybe she was more sensitive than he had given her credit for.

"So, where do you live now?" Kanda asked, his anger dissipating.

"None of your business. I'm living with a friend, but I won't freeload off of them. That's why I kept my job after moving in."

"Do you know martial arts?"

"What?" Road asked, looking up at him as though he was crazy for asking such an irrelevant question.

"Martial arts! Do you know any martial art styles! You've been alive for over 500 years, you must know how to fight!"

"As a matter of fact, I do know several styles. The Earl taught them to me. I know karate, jujitsu, aikido, tae kwon do, tang soo do, kung fu, genbukan, taijutsu, kendo, kenjutsu, iaijutsu, baguazhang, and shaolin quan, along with a few other styles."* She said proudly, with a smirk. Although Kanda's face didn't show it, he couldn't help but be impressed with all of the styles that she knew.

"Well, it's against my nature to help the enemy, there's a mixed martial arts school right here in London that's looking for help. They might hire you, regardless of how much work experience you have. Decide quickly. I'm not going back in there, and I'm not waiting all day. You have half an hour to decide. Then, I'm leaving."

Road sighed and went back into the tavern, where her boss called her aside. She couldn't say that she was too surprised. After what just happened, probably half the people there would never come back.

"Miss Kamelot, are you alright?" he asked in a concerned tone. Road looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Scratch that. Dumb question. I shouldn't have sent you over to that table. Furthermore, you looked at him like you knew him. Has he always been so unstable?" her boss whispered. Road sighed. To truly explain to him would take too long, and in the end, it wouldn't help things one bit.

"H-he isn't unstable. He's an exorcist, and an expert swordsman. I just surprised him and he reacted before he could stop himself."

"And your head growing back!"

"Long story."

"I see. Well, I'm sorry that happened, and, I understand if you want to leave."

"Thank you. I actually need to quit this job, unfortunately. I liked working for you, but I need something a little bit closer to home."

"I understand. Good luck in the future."

"Thank you."

A/N: I know it was a short chapter, but I'm hoping to make the next one longer.

The bourgeoisie is a fancy word for the common people. It was originally used in France when Napoleon was in power, and it described people who were not of noble birth, and therefore were considered second class citizens.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Allen didn't really put much stock in what that creepy mind reader, Wisely, had said. To him, the chances of him becoming the Earl were about as great as Road's chances of becoming an exorcist were. So, with that thought in mind, he kept on working… as a card shark. Nobody could deny that Allen was the best that there was. He could singlehandedly bankrupt a casino were he to put his mind to it. Fortunately, he was satisfied with just taking them for a long and painful ride and then going home with his winnings.

He had tried to convince Road that she didn't have to work anymore, now that she was living with him, but she seemed to have a sense of nobility, despite her Noah heritage, and she refused to live at his house if she wasn't contributing in some way, so as far as Allen knew, she had gone back to continue working at the tavern, although given the fiasco that had gone on that very same day, Road was just glad that the owner hadn't called the police. She didn't really want to have the entire police force on her back as she ran from them because Kanda was so blade happy that he couldn't keep his hand off of the handle, and his sword out of someone's neck.

Nonetheless, Allen smirked as he looked at his hand. It was a losing hand for sure, but he had turned around worse hands than that in his life. As was well known by his comrades, Allen's former master, General Cross Marian, was a big time womanizer, spendthrift, and lover of fine wine and cuisine. And even more than he loved spending money, he loved foisting his debts on other people. He had even gone as far as to leave two members of the Noah Clan with a 100 Guinea debt, although for Allen, that was just small change. He laughed inwardly as he looked at the card that he had just drawn. Perfect, just as he had planned. And when the time came to lay his cards on the table?

"Looks like I win again, boys." Allen said with a good natured, but somehow vicious smile. He never really enjoyed playing poker that much, despite how good he was at it. It wasn't until after the war ended that his malicious enjoyment of ripping off gambling institutions really set in. Allen didn't think much of it, writing it off as him pursuing his other talents, now that the war was over, and he no longer had to worry about fighting the Akuma and the Earl. However, everyone else had noticed, and they occasionally questioned him about it, but he always managed to give them an acceptable answer for the time… at least until it came up again.

The five other players, including the dealer groaned and pushed the large pile of chips over to Allen, who smiled and shrugged as though he had no idea what was happening. They were all positive that he was cheating somehow, but not one of them could figure out quite how. It was like he was using magic almost. But they all knew that was impossible. Allen looked up at the clock. It was only noon, which meant that it was time for a short lunch before going back to kicking the gambling den's ass. Little did he know he was being watched by small cameras that were strategically placed all around the large underground casino, and which monitored every move that every person made every minute that they were inside that fine, upstanding institution.

"Hm, this boy intrigues me. I know that he's counting cards somehow, but he has such a cool, subtle method of doing it. He's cheating without twitching a single hair, and his vitals remain perfectly normal, even as he takes hundreds of thousands of dollars from us."

"Shall I go have a little chat with him, boss?" a second, much larger and more intimidating man said gruffly. The gentleman smirked and shook his head.

"No. I desire the chance to talk with him at length in an unstressed environment. He's about to go to lunch, I think I'll join him… Besides, a pushover like you wouldn't stand a chance against him."

"But sir… I… Wasn't aware that you could eat normal food."

"Of course I can. Just because I'm undead doesn't mean that I can't occasionally enjoy the cuisine of the still living."

The boss walked up coolly to Allen, getting his attention gently and without arousing suspicion. The boss himself was an excellent con artist, and had been one for centuries before he decided to settle down and make a respectable and decent living by running a legitimate casino.

"Greetings friend. You seem like an interesting sort of fellow, and I was wondering if I could buy you lunch." The man said to Allen, who smiled and shrugged, nodding. Certainly, before him was an eccentric, possibly even an odd gentleman, but he didn't seem to be concealing any weapons that Allen could see, and his cane was just a cane. Allen, like his ability to count cards, had a knack for finding hidden weapons. That was another thing that he had to learn when training under Cross, as his master did tend to make more enemies than he did friends. Cross was just that kind of person.

"I'd like that, thank you very much…" Allen said with a polite smile, and he followed the owner over to a table, where a waitress immediately walked over and asked if they wanted anything to drink.

"I'd like a gin and tonic, please…" the owner said.

"I guess I'll just have a seltzer with a lime twist." Allen said. He wasn't going to risk getting drunk. He was pretty sure that he could hold any kind of alcohol they gave him, but he wasn't going to test his tolerance.

"Okey dokey. I'll be right back with that." She said, and then seemed to almost disappear.

"The dealers that you hired are rather odd. They never blink."

"What makes you think that I hired them, young man?" The owner asked, feigning confusion. Allen laughed.

"Should I start with the most obvious tells or the less obvious ones?"

"Let's go from least obvious to most obvious. I find that order helps me see the context best."

"Well, I saw you come out of the back room through a door that said employees only, and then all of the people who worked there looked up at you, as if expecting some kind of orders from you. You called over four men, who, by the way, are watching us now from next to the front door, by the back door, on the right side of the bar and at the blackjack table. But back to the point, you ordered them into their current positions and they fulfilled your orders without a second thought. And now that we're sitting down, a waitress comes over almost immediately, seemingly dropping everything else that she's doing to take care of us. So why don't you tell me what you want so I can order my lunch, as I really am rather hungry."

"Ahahahahaa…" The owner laughed, covering his forehead with his hand briefly and then looking around at the men who were watching them and silently ordering them away. They left, and then he turned back to Allen.

"Very good. Very good, indeed. Yes, I am the owner, and I did hire most of the people who work here. I was watching you play, and I couldn't help but notice how extraordinarily lucky you are. Why, you seem to win every game. Indeed, in the time that you've been here, I don't think you've lost once."

"People have told me that I'm rather lucky. There's nothing that extraordinary about it, though." Allen said with a cold grin.

"Oh, but there is. I don't know anyone who could count cards like that without so much as turning a hair."

"Counting cards? Well, I can certainly tell you that your dealers are counting cards, although they aren't very good at it. If you're going to hire cheaters, at least hire competent cheaters, and not the losers that I just had the sad duty to bring low."

"Well, I was going to offer you a job here. Of course, there are some job requirements beyond simply being an expert at counting cards."

"First, you try to trick me into confessing over lunch. Then you openly accuse me of counting cards, and now you wish to offer me a job? You must be pretty damn confident to try such a move."

"I assure you that the job requirements are not hard to meet. You must simply have one meeting with me where I personally… train you. And then you can be off to making more money than you could possibly imagine."

"I don't know. I can imagine a hell of a lot of money. I suppose seeing your motive now I needn't fear reprisal, so I can safely tell you that learning to count cards was a necessity for me. Training under my master was a horrible experience, being forced to pay off his debts. So, if occasionally I seem greedy to you, don't take it personally. It has merely been beaten into me to always take more rather than less."

"Hmmm… You have me quite intrigued. Say, could you possibly tell me your name, young man?"

"Allen Walker. And yours?"

"Arthur Kamelot, but if you're Allen Walker, then you know my tenth great granddaughter, Road Kamelot."

"Ah, you're a member of Road's family. She's actually in London right now, but if she's your tenth great granddaughter, then wouldn't that make you about 800 years old?"

"Actually, I'm 775 years old as of last week. I'm not a Noah, although ever since the Kamelot family became involved in the Earl's affairs, I have been closely affiliated with them. You see, I'm not human. However, I am also not an Akuma. When you were young, did you believe in vampires, Allen?" Arthur asked politely, leaning in out of interest. Allen raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"I still do. My friend and comrade, Arystar Krory is a vampire of sorts. His parasitic innocence gives him the ability and the compulsion to drink Akuma blood."

"I see. Well, he is a false vampire, given vampirism through non-procreative means. What do you think you know about vampires?"

"Well, first and foremost, they drink the blood of humans to survive. If they didn't have human blood, they would turn to dust. They can't stand sunlight, and they have fangs that they use to bite a person's neck. They're immensely strong, and have many magical abilities, such as flying, shapeshifting, and regeneration. They sleep in coffins during the day, and cannot enter a household without permission from someone with the authority to do so. They flee from crosses, sunlight, holy water, garlic, and silver, and a stake through the heart will kill them. The only way to make sure that they stay dead, though, is to cut their head off, fill its mouth with holy wafers, burn the body and head separately, and scatter the ashes in a river. They cannot cross running water, nor can they enter a graveyard or a church."

"Well, boy, allow me to clear up some misconceptions. First off, a stake through the heart will put us into a coma-like state, and we don't sleep in coffins. In fact, I find coffins quite uncomfortable. We do have the ability to shapeshift, regenerate, and to fly. The whole threshold thing is a load of crap. We can go anywhere we want without permission. Vampires are usually repulsed by crosses, although they don't hurt us. Garlic merely gives us bad breath, and holy water is only good if it enters an open wound and mixes with our blood. I personally like silver jewelry very much. I think it has an understated beauty. In addition, vampires are especially sensitive to sunlight, although we aren't actually destroyed by it."

"Are you… Offering to turn me into a vampire, Mr. Kamelot?" Allen asked, looking at Arthur with a hard stare. Arthur grinned and nodded.

"Indeed, I am. I believe that you would make an excellent vampire. You're smart, and quick on your feet. You have a knack for trickery and deceit, which will serve you well amongst the vampires. Besides, hasn't the concept of immortality ever intrigued you? You've seen Road herself. She who has lived for five centuries while retaining the body of a fifteen year old. And look at me. I have lived for almost 800 years and I still appear as though I am in my prime. I could make you more powerful and richer than you could ever have imagined. I've made all of my dealers into vampires, but none of them approach your genius in counting cards. Think of the money that you could make. Why, together, we could build a fortune that would put entire nations to shame."

"Do I have to make my decision now?" Allen asked politely. Arthur grinned and shook his head. It wasn't urgent.

"Of course not, boy. It's a big choice, and for one so young as you, the concept of eternity must be truly staggering. Take as long as you need to decide what you want. And when you do, come back to this address and ask for me. I eagerly await your answer. Bring Little Road when you do come back, though. I'd like to see her again."

"Sure. Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have approximately ₤700,000 of chips to cash…" Allen said gloatingly, walking out and making a beeline for the exchange counter.

Road walked into the martial arts dojo, where a class was currently going on. The grandmaster was out on the floor, but when the bell rang, he looked over and saw Yu Kanda standing there with Road, and he excused himself, slowly and lithely gliding across the wooden floor toward them.

"Hello, Kanda-san. It is good to see you again," the man said politely, bowing to Kanda. He then took out a pair of glasses and put them on, looking hard at Road.

"I wasn't aware that you had a younger sister, Kanda-san."

"She's not my sister. She's… a friend, and I wondered if you still had any positions open here that she could fill."

"How old is she?" The old man asked, raising an eyebrow in slight disbelief.

"567, grandmaster…" Road said, bowing to the man, who had to be stronger and sturdier than he looked.  
"Oh, come now. I may be old, but I've not gone senile yet."

"Fine. I'm 14…" Road said grudgingly. That was about how old she looked. Despite the fact that she was actually fifteen when her Noah memories awoke, she looked slightly younger because of her childlike features.

"Better. Now, what is your name?" He asked politely, seemingly as though the question deserved a reverence all its own. Perhaps names meant more where this guy came from, Road thought.

"Road Kamelot." Road said honestly. For a moment, the grandmaster seemed deep in thought, as though trying to decide whether to believe that her name really was Road.

"Miss Kamelot it is, then. Now, size isn't usually a factor in martial arts, but you are so very small that I'm afraid that you might be hurt by some of the older and much larger students. Look out there. Do you see that man in the back? Markus Fletcher, 6'7", 230 pounds. He is an extreme example, but he's not even a black belt and he intimidates some of the teachers. I feel that to hire a child who isn't even five feet tall and weighs less than 100 pounds would be irresponsible."

"I appreciate your concern, but I'm much sturdier than I look. I'm not so easy to take down. I actually look forward to facing young Markus Fletcher. Please allow me to at least try to get a job here." Road said, bowing politely to him. The grandmaster raised an eyebrow and sighed. He really did need more instructors, and anyone with enough experience would do, to tell the truth, he thought to himself.

"Very well. Why don't you try yourself out against one of my younger teachers? Perhaps she'll be a good match for you. Miss Marker!" he called, and a tall girl with long blonde hair tied back in a tight ponytail looked up.

"Yes, sensei?" She asked, bowing to him. Road didn't think that she could be any older than 17.

"Could you spar with this girl here? She's applying for the job opening, and I need to make sure that she really is qualified."

"This tiny thing! She looks like she's barely out of diapers! How old is she, ten!"

"I'M FOURTEEN!" Road screamed. She had always hated the fact that she looked like a child, and now she was being mocked about it all over again.

"Fourteen, huh?" Marker asked, pulling out a pair of glasses and looking carefully at Road.

"I guess I could buy that." She said, still sounding slightly skeptical. "You still want to spar with me?"

"Of course. I look forward to it, sempai!" Road said coldly, scowling, although her face was tinged with red.

"Fine then. I'll be out in a minute."

Road snorted and then marched over to the floor, removing her shoes and walking out. Marker looked back at the Grandmaster and her face changed from a scowl to one of slight desperation.

"Sensei! Why are you making me do this? She looks like she could be broken in half by a light breeze!"

"Hey…" Kanda said quietly, his face still in his permanent scowl. "You'd best not underestimate her, unless you have a death wish, Elizabeth."

"Kanda? Since when have you done charity work!"

"It's not charity. She's an acquaintance of mine, and she needed a job. This is the only place that seemed to fit her expertise."

"Whatever. I'll be back in five minutes."

"Would you like to watch, Kanda-san?" the Grandmaster asked.

"I suppose I should, if only to make sure that Miss Marker doesn't die."

With that, the two walked to the edge of the floor, removed their shoes and walked out, stationing themselves at the edge of the ring where Road and Elizabeth were facing off. Road scowled at Elizabeth and took a deep breath, calming herself down before fighting. She didn't want to mess up, or even worse, be so angry that she killed Elizabeth by mistake. She had been known to do that in the past. The two bowed to each other and then Elizabeth aimed a kick right to Road's face, which Road jumped over and then spun around in midair and kicked Elizabeth in the side of the head, sending her flying out of the ring. Road then landed, and, being in stockings, she slipped on the wooden floor, and cracked her head hard, causing a small amount of blood to splatter underneath her.

"Hey, Road, are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, the scowl gone from her face and a smile there in its place.

"Of course. A tiny thing like a concussion doesn't even slow me down. Did I bleed on the floor at all?"

"A little bit. It's all cleaned up, though. By the way, I've never seen anyone jump like that. It seemed like you barely put any effort into it, and then you spun around in midair by your own momentum and kicked me hard enough to send me flying. You really could have broken my neck, you know."

"Sorry. I haven't had to hold back in a long time. Perhaps I went a little overboard."

"Hey… Are you related to that Arthur Kamelot guy who runs that underground casino?"

"You know my tenth great grandfather?"

"Sort of. I only know that he's a ruthless man with no conscience and the ability to hold a grudge for decades."

"Mm… That sounds like Arthur. Actually, his name was really Arturo, but he changed it to Arthur in the Middle Ages when he moved to England and wanted to blend in better."

"The Middle Ages?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "That would make him upwards of 500 years old."

"He's actually 775, I think, but I'm not sure. I'm only related to him by adoption."

"Riiiiight. You know what I think? I think you're either a complete nutjob or a total liar."

"Well, I've been called both of those things in the past. But I can't escape the fate that life handed me. I merely performed on the cosmic stage as best I could. What more can any of us do? I mean… Does God exist? Doesn't he? Perhaps it's another deity that rules, or maybe nothing will happen after we die. Perhaps we will just rot in the Earth. I can't say for sure, and neither can anyone who's alive because they've never died."

"You're crazy…" Elizabeth spat, and then stood up and stalked off, going back to training.

"Well, Miss Kamelot. You're certainly qualified for the job… Are you sure that you want it, though? Do you really need a job? I mean, you must still live at home, right?" The grandmaster asked with polite interest. He was just slightly concerned that a girl as young as Road (even though she wasn't young at all) wanted a job so soon.

"Actually, my family situation is complicated, so I live with a friend. I didn't want to be a burden, so I'm getting a job. My friend said I didn't have to, but I need something to do during the day, anyhow."

"I see. Well, then. Welcome to the team. I'll try to find a uniform that will fit you, but, I might have to give you a child size."

"Of course. If you don't mind, could I start tomorrow?"

"Certainly. Be here at 10:00, and I should have a uniform for you. I never asked you, though. Approximately what level are you in this form of martial arts?"

"I was told by my last instructor that I am a master belt. However, I haven't practiced in some time, and my skills may have diminished somewhat."

"Well, that's alright. You just come in tomorrow, and we'll appraise your level then." He said, not sure if he really believed that Road was a master in her form at only fourteen. However, he wasn't going to argue with what he saw out on the floor, which was nothing short of incredible.

A/N: I suppose it's rather lame, but I named Arthur after King Arthur of the Camelot books, due to the fact that his last name is Kamelot. Although he became immortal long before the events of Camelot took place, I merely made the link. Feel free to hurl flames at me for it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

It hadn't taken Allen much time to think about what he wanted. It was true that vampires had always fascinated him, and although he knew that they were seen as evil, he was sure that they didn't have to be. Rather, only those who had become corrupted by power were evil. It was just like the Noahs. The Noah Clan wasn't necessarily evil. Rather, they just held ideals that went against what most people believed. Some of the members of the clan were evil, like the Earl, and Cyril Kamelot. But others, like Road and Tyki Mikk, were just people. In that way, one could say that vampires were the same.

And so it was that Allen found himself walking down to the underground gambling den once more. He had not yet promised Arthur that he would become a vampire, or that he would go along with the vampire's scheme. Allen rather enjoyed simply working on his own and taking gambling dens for a ride when he played poker, or blackjack, or any other card game for that matter, for he was skilled with almost all known card games, or at least he was good at cheating.

As he neared the building, he shivered, a sudden chill making its way down his spine. He wasn't sure quite what caused it, but he knew that it couldn't be good. Indeed, he had a rather good sense of intuition when it came to bad things. Perhaps it had grown out of his ability to sense Akuma in the area when he was an exorcist. Now, however, it extended much further. And, just as he had suspected, something bad was coming along.

"Allen Walker?" Came a curious voice from behind him. Turning around suddenly, Allen found himself face to face with Tyki Mikk's older brother, Cyril Kamelot. Although Allen had never been able to figure out why they had different last names, and he frankly didn't care, he stared hard at Cyril, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"What would a straightlaced guy like you be doing in a gambling den? Surely you can't be very good at playing cards… Oh, but wait… You really took my dear brother Tyki and his friends for a ride once, didn't you? Yes… Now I remember. You learned to cheat quite effectively because of your master's seemingly endless debts. Am I right?"

"Yes. Not that it's any of your business, but General Cross was once my master. I try to keep as little contact with him as possible, for fear that he will fall into his old habit of leaving me with his bills."

"Poor young Allen. Perhaps your love of ripping people off stems from that, for you seem quite talented at it. My ninth great grandfather, Arthur Kamelot has told me much about you. He says that he has yet to be able to actually prove that you have been cheating for over a year at his gambling den, and have won over ₤5,000,000 there."

"Did he now? Well, most times I just come here for fun. Last time, though, I was being somewhat serious." Allen said with a cocky smirk before turning his back on the tall nobleman and walking into the building. Cyril stood there for a moment, then walked in after Allen and looked around for a table, eager to see Allen in action. He was sure that even though Tyki had lost everything to Allen, that he could beat him. After all, Cyril was far better at cheating than Tyki was. He followed Allen over to a poker table, and sat down…

Two hours later, Cyril was down ₤10,000,000, and Allen was up ₤20,000,000. Finally, Cyril had to admit to himself that there was no way that he could possibly beat him, he stood and left, knowing full well when to cut his losses. Allen waved goodbye jovially as Cyril left and then looked up at the clock and decided that he would grab some food. After all, a "last meal" was never a bad idea, and Allen was hungry. Even though he never used his Innocence anymore, he still had a voracious appetite. So, the former exorcist stood and walked, whistling tunelessly, to the restaurant, where he immediately ordered fifteen hamburgers, ten orders of extra large French fries, five orders of cheese sticks, ten bowls of onion soup, five baskets of bread, ten plates of mitarashi dango, three large bowls of ramen and three orders of veal with mashed potatoes on the side… And that was generally a small order for him. Strangely, he hadn't been all that hungry lately. It was like he just wasn't in the mood to eat.

Although the waitress looked at him oddly, she shrugged and turned around, walking into the kitchen to place the order. As Allen waited, Arthur walked out and over to Allen's table, standing there at the side for a moment, as if waiting to catch his attention. Allen waited a moment, ignoring Arthur for a few seconds before turning his head and inviting him to sit. Arthur bowed in thanks and sat across from Allen, crossing his legs and folding his gloved hands across his lap. He looked keenly across the table and smiled at Allen, not saying anything for a moment, hoping that Allen would begin their conversation, which would put him in a better position to bargain later. When it was apparent that Allen either saw through this, or merely didn't want to start the conversation, Arthur forewent that plan and spoke.

"So, Allen… You are back for the first time in two days. Does this mean that you have thought about my offer?" Arthur asked with a knowing smile, his glasses sliding down his sharp, thin nose slightly. He brought his entire hand up and pushed the glasses back up the bridge of his nose with the tip of his middle finger and then looked at Allen again. For a moment, neither spoke again, and then, "I have. I was quite interested by what you said about vampires. You told me a fair amount about what they aren't, but you haven't told me much about what they are, or what they _can_ do."

"Well, as you may already know, all vampires possess some unique abilities, and no vampire can teach you about your own abilities except one that has the same ability as you do. Even then, however, it is a risky undergoing, learning from another vampire. First of all, one should always strive toward their own method of doing things, rather than imitating another. Second, and most importantly, vampires guard their secrets jealously in most cases, and to ask another vampire for help with anything is risky, because knowing too much about another vampire is dangerous. However, it is often safe to guess that a new vampire has gained _some_ of the abilities that their creator has, and some that it may or may not have, and may or may not even know about. I'll not tell you about my powers. However, I also won't be vindictive toward you if you should learn about them by yourself, either by watching me do battle, or by simple research. I can tell you that inhuman speed, ungodly strength, and unearthly grace and dexterity, along with unsettling intelligence and great force of personality are common traits. What you must realize about your speed, however, is that both distance and space in general are not concrete. Vampires can alter space through a fast movement technique called flashing. It's simple, actually, and although scientists would most likely try to explain it with complex theoretical physics equations, it requires only a sufficient amount of ambient electric energy. Such energy courses through the body of every creature. This electricity, also known as the nervous system, is what allows creatures to feel, think and move, and when properly amplified, such as through the transformation from human to vampire, the newly created vampire can move through space as though it wasn't there, creating a blurring effect around you. Watch this." Arthur said, standing in front of him, and immediately disappearing from view.

In the next instant, there was a brief blur, and, Allen turned around and saw him standing there with a self satisfied smirk on his face. He then backed away and watched as Allen tried to digest all of the new information that he was receiving. He enjoyed the confused look on Allen's face, that of a boy who had once looked to God for answers, but was finding that not even God could tell him everything he wanted to know, like how a Noah and an Exorcist could possibly fall in love. Road falling in love with Allen had been the beginning of Allen's descent into darkness, and the beginning of the end of his faith in God. Young Allen became conflicted in his feelings for Road, especially when the war ended, and he realized that even though she and her kin had killed several of his friends, that he still loved her. Their love survived the year that they were apart after the war, and the bitterness and resentment that Allen built up for Road when she didn't try to find him. Whether it had been foolish of Allen to think that way or not, Arthur wouldn't comment on. However, it was amusing to him to see Allen's all too human emotions carry him away.

Arthur liked Allen a lot, and even though Cyril had warned against Allen, saying that he was a dangerous person to bring into his confidence, Arthur found something about Allen that he absolutely trusted. Perhaps it was his kind nature, despite the fact that he had taken up card counting as a career, and could be quite ruthless at the poker table. For a few moments, Arthur watched this, then he prompted Allen by glancing away, and then back, which knocked Allen right out of his self induced stupor.

"Right! I'm ready."

Allen had known right from the beginning that he wanted to become a vampire. He could feel his body growing weaker already, and he knew that he didn't have much longer to live. Maybe five years… If he was lucky, he might live ten more. Unlike Crowley, whose parasitic Innocence grew in and replaced his old teeth shortly before Allen and Lavi met him, and Suman Dark, whose Innocence found him and implanted itself, Allen had been born with his arm, and the innocence had been feeding off of him for sixteen years. That was why he estimated that if he left life to fate, he would likely die within the next decade. Despite his strength of character, he was terrified of his own death. He didn't want to die. Who did? But for Allen, it was more than that. He wasn't ready to find out what came after death, and even if he did go to heaven, he would be separated from Road again. That was something that Allen couldn't take.

"Ready for what?" Arthur asked. He felt pretty sure that he knew what Allen meant, but he didn't want to assume. After all, you know what they say about making assumptions, right?*

"To become a vampire, of course."

"Very well, Young Allen. Hold still for a moment. This will hurt at first, but then you won't feel a thing. It's like a girl's first experience."

"I wouldn't know anything about that… I'm not a girl, after all."

"Of course. Just stay still, child. It will all be over soon." Arthur said right before swooping down on Allen and baring the boy's neck, staring at it for a moment. It was not often that he got to drink from such a fine specimen as Allen. He didn't take long, though. He plunged his teeth into Allen's Carotid Artery, drinking deeply of the boy's luscious, red blood. Its deep, rich flavor coursed through Arthur's mouth, and was swallowed down his throat and into his stomach. It was an odd sensation to drink from a wielder of a parasitic Innocence. There was a tingling sensation, now, radiating from his teeth, and spreading out through his body. Soon, the feeling elevated into a sense of ecstasy far beyond what he normally felt when he drank blood. It was a little bit painful, like a burning sensation that was pouring through his veins, but it was unlike anything he had ever felt before.

Finally, Arthur stopped, and he took a single fingernail and cut his wrist open, holding it up to Allen's mouth for him to drink his blood. Allen groaned and raised his head slightly, barely able to stay awake, since so much blood had been drained from him. As Allen took his first drink of blood, though, he felt a feeling of euphoria soar through his body, causing him to feel as though he had suddenly become weightless, now floating on air, untouchable, and unable to touch anything else. It was a glorious feeling to be sure, and now that he was feeling it, he didn't want to stop. He couldn't stop, he wouldn't allow it. He drank deeply of Arthur's blood, swallowing it down in huge gulps, ever thirsty for more. Soon, though, Arthur began to resist, lest all of his blood be drained and he lose his abilities. Finally, he managed to wrench his wrist out of Allen's grip, and push Allen away, at which point, he collapsed to the floor and began to convulse violently. Arthur wasn't worried, of course, as he had made dozens of vampires before, and all of them reacted the same way.

He watched as Allen's weakened and vulnerable body was wracked with spasms, his eyes wide and full of terror, foam forming at his mouth. This would go on for two or three minutes, and then he would stop, and lay in a catatonic state for 48 hours, during which time, his body would change. During this time, his fangs would grow, his muscles would become much denser, and the electricity that already coursed through his nervous system would become much more powerful, vastly improving his reflexes, intellect, and giving him the ability to flit. Due to the unholy nature of Allen's change, his body would reject his innocence and his arm would likely be destroyed. However, due to Allen's new regenerative ability, a new arm would grow in its place, although such a change would take a little while to occur, and he may not have full use of his arm right away.

Just as Allen's body calmed down, Road ran in, and looked from Arthur to Allen with a look halfway between worried and furious. Apparently, she had seen the whole thing, but just hadn't come in, for whatever reason. Arthur looked up and smiled, bowing politely to Road, who only glared back at him with utmost contempt.

"Hello, Road. It's good to see you again…"

"Don't give me that! I saw you bite him! You turned him into a vampire, you monster!"

"I only did so with his permission. It's true I saw many admirable qualities in him, and wanted to see if I could help him develop his… talents. However, I did nothing without his consent."

"He would _never_ agree to become a vampire! You must have tricked him somehow!"

"No. I did not. I merely offered him the chance to live forever. It was a simple matter, really. You know, judging by the state that his body was in when I first saw him, he wouldn't have lived to see age thirty. His Innocence was killing him, and his death wouldn't have been pleasant. Even with the Earl's power flowing through him, his death would have been painful, and slow. No. Vampirism was a far better choice. I think he knew that, and made a wise, and informed decision based on his remaining options."

"No! Allen isn't such a coward that he would fear death so much!" Road cried, tears flooding her brilliantly blue eyes and spilling over, pouring down her cheeks.

"Poor Road. You don't know Allen nearly as well as you think you do. You'd be surprised at what some people are afraid of. It isn't death itself that scares Allen. It's being alone after he dies that upsets him so much. He believes in a heaven and a hell, and he believes in God, quite adamantly. But even with the promise of eternal paradise after death, he doesn't want it if he has to give you up to attain it. He's willing to damn his soul for a chance to spend eternity with you."

"H-he told you all this?"

"He didn't have to. The moment that you burst into this room, I put the pieces together. I noticed first that Allen only had a short while left to live, and that his body was degrading due to the Innocence. When I found out his name, I asked him if he knew you, and he said that you were living in London. The only way that he could have known that was if he was in contact with you, and the only reason that he would be in contact with you was if you had somehow become friends. Then, he accepted my offer to make him a vampire so that he wouldn't have to die alone… So that he wouldn't have to die at all. Then, you so rudely burst into the room and rushed over to Allen, and everything made sense. You two have been in love since before the war was even over, haven't you? Ever since you got that special 'Christmas gift' from the Earl."

"Yes… I love him so much, but I'm always afraid that I'm going to wake up and find that it was all a dream, that none of this really happened, and that I'm still alone."

"Well, that's something that you should talk to Allen about, but for now, you can stay here until he wakes up. I'll bring out some beds for you and Allen, and both of you can rest for a while." Arthur said with a smile, conjuring two beds out of thin air and then walking out. Road picked Allen up and put him in the bed on the right and then sat down on the bed on the left, staring at Allen. It all seemed so unreal to her, like she was watching her life from above, unable to interact, unable to affect anything. Had Allen really been close to death? It didn't seem possible. Allen was as lively as ever, still doing his morning exercise routine, still just as ruthless at cards. His whole life seemed to be in order. He didn't seem depressed, or scared, or upset. He didn't show the slightest hint of nervousness, or of pain. That could easily have just been Allen hiding his condition, though. Allen was the type to try to shoulder everything by himself and not let others in… Even those that he cared about… No, especially those that he cared about, he would leave out, to avoid hurting them. That was the one thing that she didn't like about Allen. He always thought that he had to shoulder the world's problems alone. Whether it was being an exorcist, or coming to grips with his death, he never shared his concerns with others.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Road! What do you want?" Lenalee asked suspiciously upon seeing Road in her doorway, standing in the rain. It had been raining for days, and the dirt that held the stone streets in place was turning to mud, causing the stones to shift in place, leaving everything unstable. Road was soaked and dirty, and shivering violently, like she had been outside for hours.

"I-I need to talk to you…" Road said desperately, tears threatening their way into the corners of her eyes. Lenalee was slightly taken aback at how miserable Road looked. She always seemed to wear that Cheshire Cat grin on her face, that irritatingly mysterious smile that never seemed to fade.

"Just come in, before you catch pneumonia…" Lenalee said grudgingly, standing back from the door to allow Road inside. Road bowed in thanks and walked past Lenalee. Her hair had started to grow back quite nicely in the year since the war had ended. Although it was not quite as long as once it had been, she was starting to be able to put it in ponytails again, although, now, she opted for a single braid that went down her back, ending halfway between her shoulder blades. Lenalee looked at Road, raising an eyebrow, but then she turned away with a snort and went into the kitchen, pouring some water to put on some tea. She then came back into the front hallway to see Road still standing there, as if waiting for a written invitation.

"Well, sit down. Just put a towel down under you. I don't want my furniture getting wet," Lenalee said with a sharp tone to her voice. Road sighed and took a towel from Lenalee, putting it on a plush chair and sitting on it, sitting back and breathing a sigh of relief. It was good to sit down again. It had been a long day at the dojo, and standing all day had been tougher than she had thought it would be. Surely, she would quickly get used to it, but still, her first day working at such a vigorous job was hard. Road waited for a moment to collect her thoughts before she spoke, watching Lenalee sitting across from her, staring at her as if trying to discern some ulterior motive.

"Lenalee, do you know anything about Allen's Innocence?" Road asked suddenly. Lenalee suddenly sat up straight and looked at Road with an almost hostile look.

"What? You want to destroy it, or something?"

"Well, yes, I do… But not for the reason that you're thinking," Road said, causing Lenalee to scoff slightly at her. Road looked away, trying to keep herself focused. It was hard that day, especially while thinking about Allen lying in bed in a coma.

"Alright, why then? Why would you want to destroy Allen's Innocence if not for some misguided notion that you're still the Earl's family?"

"His… His Innocence is killing him…" Road said, tears always threatening to fall from her eyes, forcing her to swallow hard every so often to keep from breaking down.

"Oh, that. Well…" Lenalee said quietly. "It's happening sooner than I thought, but, I always knew that this would happen eventually. I was hoping that he would live a fairly full life. His past has been full of tragedy, he doesn't need to die young like this."

"What do you mean? You mean you knew, and you didn't do anything!"

"What could I have done? Parasitic Innocence eats away at the user's life force, and they always die earlier than they normally would. Has Allen been eating well?"

"I guess so. He's been eating three meals a day, if that's what you mean."

"No. Users of parasitic Innocence have voracious appetites. Allen always used to eat enough food in one meal for 20 people."

"Well, Allen has been getting a little bit thin, but I didn't really think much of it."

"What's going on, Road! You have to be here for more than this!"

"Allen allowed my tenth great grandfather to turn him into a vampire!" Road said loudly, no longer able to restrain her tears and allowing them to come out in earnest. Tears flowed down her cheeks, dripping off her chin. She felt like a little child again, needing to be comforted by her mother. How long had she hated her mother? How long had she felt abandoned by her? How long had Road felt that her mother had left her behind intentionally? Too long. That was how long, and now, all those feelings of abandonment and resentment were coming up again because of Allen. She felt sure that Allen would never leave her, that he at least would always be by her side, even when nobody else was. But now, he had taken the coward's way out. He had chosen undeath rather than a natural death. But… There was nothing natural about the Innocence. It was made by God, and God was the one who had caused her problems in the first place. She was supposed to hate God… And yet, now she found herself praying to him that Allen would once again find his way. Now all she had to do was be prepared for Lenalee's reaction.

"HE DID WHAT! HOW COULD YOU LET HIM DO THAT! ARE YOU CRAZY, OR JUST STUPID!" Lenalee screamed, standing up suddenly and grabbing Road by the shoulders, squeezing down rather harder than she intended, and slammed Road's back against the wall, holding her there, and glaring at her, almost as though she intended to petrify her. Lenalee was furious, and Road, although she didn't scare easily, was terrified of Lenalee's wrath. She didn't often encounter someone who could overpower her, and yet, that was exactly what Lenalee was doing now.

"Y-you're hurting me…" Road said nervously, no longer able to meet Lenalee's gaze. She already felt guilty about what happened to Allen. She didn't need Lenalee rubbing it in. Feeling extremely distraught, Road looked at Lenalee with a look that the former exorcist had never seen before coming from Road. It was fear, and… maybe… timidity. After a moment, she let go of Road, who stumbled away, having been trying to get out of Lenalee's grip for some time, and collapsed to the ground, having lost her balance. For one brief moment, Road didn't do anything. Then she scrambled to stand up, mumbled an apology before running out the door, and slamming it behind her, forgetting that she wasn't wearing her shoes. As she ran through the streets, her striped stockings got soaked and mud stained, and at one point, she even tripped and twisted her ankle, falling to her knees and scraping them. Her wounds quickly sealed up, but they still stung, so she stumbled over into an alley and sat down, despairing over her predicament. Allen was a vampire, and it was entirely her fault for not noticing that he was dying. She was positive that she could have saved him had she known about it ahead of time. She hated herself more than ever, now, and she knew that she couldn't go on living off of Allen like she was.

She looked around and found an old knife that someone had discarded, and she slashed along her wrists, cutting them wide open and watching the blood spill down her hand and splatter the sleeves of her already soaked blouse. This time, she wasn't going to regenerate. She could choose when she regenerated and when she didn't, and this time, she was going to allow herself to die like a normal human. She could be a normal human once more, as she hadn't been in over 500 years. But there was still so much that she wanted to do. She wanted to get married to Allen. She wanted to have a family with him, although now, that seemed almost a joke. She was a wreck, and he was a vampire. Even though she had been freezing just a moment before, suddenly, she felt warm again. The warm feeling spread from her heart, and into the rest of her body, following the veins and arteries, and soon, she couldn't hear anymore, except for a dull pounding pressure in her ear that seemed to resemble her own heartbeat. Beating slower and slower, her heart slowly began not to function, and Road's vision began to get hazy, slipping in and out of focus intermittently. A smile slowly came to Road's face. Even if she was dying, she could no longer be a burden to Allen, and would no longer be in his way. He could now pursue the unlife of a vampire as best he could, and without her, perhaps he would do better.

As the last of the light slid from her eyes, she was sure that she felt a warm pair of hands lifting her up, but she attributed it to being taken to where she would be judged. She wasn't afraid. Back when she was 15, she feared death more than anything, because death meant the loss of her chance to do anything with her life. Now, though, Road wasn't afraid. After living for almost 550 years, death wasn't nearly as daunting a prospect. Besides, she would be reborn eventually… Soul and all, in the next Noah.

"Welcome, Road. You were originally scheduled to die when you were sixteen. There's a bit of a difference between 16 and 550, isn't there?" came a voice neither warm nor cold. It merely was, and if she had to attribute anything to it, it was probing. Road felt as though he was looking straight through her and seeing her every weakness, insecurity, and fear.

"I know. I'm surprised that I'm even here, actually. The Earl always told me that Noahs who died had their souls reborn into a new person, whose memories awakened."

"He misinformed you. Noahs are no different than normal humans in regards to death. When they die, their soul is judged, and they are sent either to Heaven or Hell, based on their actions in life… And _your_ life, my dear, has been less than exemplary. However, this needn't be the end for you. Perhaps now is the time to truly get your affairs in order, and try to live the rest of your extraordinarily long life as it was intended to be lived. Even as we speak, there are people trying to revive you. I wonder. Should I let them succeed? You do have so much to live for, and many people who care about you. On the other hand, your past actions have proven you to be easily led astray. I can't let you off _too_ easily, can I?"

"No. I suppose not. So, is this the end for me?"

"No. I don't think it is. I'll give you another chance to live, provided you truly attempt to turn your life around. How you take this gift is up to you, but remember that when you die again, and come to the pearly gates once more, your fate will once again be in my hands."

"Thank you. Are you God?" Road asked, tears of joy filling her eyes at the prospect of being given a second chance. As she looked upon this angel of redemption, she felt certain that the grace of God had truly gifted her with something to be adored.

"No, my dear. I am merely one of God's humble servants. I suppose you mortals would call us angels."

"What do you call yourselves, then?" Road asked curiously.

"We don't have names. The Bible has given us names, because when we appeared to humans, we used pseudonyms. Names are rather important in human culture, but in heaven, everyone always knows who they are talking to, even without names. Now don't dally. You must return to your body before it is too late." The angel said, holding out a finger and pushing Road back down to Earth.

As Road fell, she screamed, the air rushing past her. She fell faster and faster, and finally, SLAM! She found her eyes shooting open, and she shot up into a sitting position, struggling as hard as she could against the many hands that were attending to her. She had come back to life, but she didn't know where she was, or why she was there. It was like her whole life was blurry. She remembered the feeling of being in Heaven, though. It was like nothing she had ever experienced, a euphoria that overcame her whole body, easing all of her fears and assuaging her guilt completely. Finally, she felt a sharp needle prick her arm, and her vision once again went fuzzy, and she went limp again, falling back onto the bed.

"What happened!" Lenalee cried, running into the room and seeing the doctor there with the needle, and Road unconscious on the bed.

"Well, it's not uncommon for people who are recently revived to be confused. Miss Kamelot's confusion took a more severe and violent turn, and we had to sedate her. She should wake up in half an hour. We only gave her a little bit of sedative."

"I see. Well, may I stay in the room with her? I need to talk to her about something."

"Fine. Don't put too much stress on her, though. She lost a lot of blood, and is liable to go into shock if she's stressed too much.

"Uggh… W-where am I? What happened?" Road asked, putting a hand slowly up to her forehead and holding her head in her hand for a moment, keeping her eyes closed to keep the light from hurting her already pounding headache.

"You're in the hospital, Road. You tried to kill yourself."

"I-I did? That's not good. Why did I do that?"

"I don't know. But you very nearly succeeded in the attempt. What happened, Road?"

"I just remember talking to you, and then you yelled at me, and then everything went blank, and I can't remember anything after that. Then, there was a bright light all around me, and an angel told me that I could return to life if I wanted, but that I had to change my ways or risk going to Hell."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"It was just a dream, Road…" Lenalee said, suddenly feeling a sense of sympathy for Road that she had never felt before. It was like she could identify with the Noah, and finally, she saw what Allen had seen in Road. A good person with many insecurities and fears."

"No. It wasn't a dream. It was so real. I felt that warmth from the angel's hand course through my entire body, like I was becoming something that mere mortals could only dream of being. The glow that radiated off of the angel was stunning. He said that he didn't have a name, but that everyone knew who he was and could communicate with him all the same. For that instance, I glanced the kingdom of Heaven, and I knew that I had to try to change myself, if only to feel that warmth again someday."

"If you say so. Personally, I've never cared much for God or religion. The Earl and the Akuma ruined my life. For such a long time, I've hated the Clan of Noah because they aligned themselves with the Earl. Akuma killed my family when I was five. Only my brother and I escaped. Then, he and I were separated when the Order learned that I was the accommodator for an Innocence. I was stuck in the Dark Order, and I hated it, and everyone in it. I hated the Earl for making the Akuma, and the Akuma for killing my family. I tried several times to run away, but I was always caught, and finally, they had to strap me down so that I wouldn't hurt myself. When I was fourteen, my brother joined the Order so that he could be closer to me. The Earl has ruined millions of lives, and destroyed so much, and even now that he's dead, I still hate him. His machinations trapped both my brother and I in the Order for a good part of our lives. But I don't have any reason to hate you anymore."

"I deserve to be hated. If you don't hate me, then you're a fool, Lenalee. You should hate me. Hate me with all your heart, with your very being. I've never done anything that would give me the right to be loved."

"You know, Road, the first step on the path to forgiveness is being able to forgive yourself. Allen told me how you came to be a Noah. You must have been scared. Having lost your family to something so powerful that you couldn't hope to fight it. Feeling that death itself was your enemy. I felt the same way when my family was killed. I felt the same way in the Dark Order. That doesn't mean that you can never find redemption. Allen needs you more than ever, now. He suffered the curse of undeath so that he wouldn't have to be without you. Go to him and take care of him. Keep me in the loop, though."

For a moment, Allen wondered where he was. It was as though a cold world of darkness had surrounded him, like no matter what he did, he couldn't get warm. Then, a strange light shone down, and suddenly, Allen felt a burning sensation on his skin, like his very flesh was on fire. Screaming, Allen dropped to the ground, covering his head and trying to get rid of the burning sensation, but the more he did so, the more it burned. Slowly, his skin began to blacken, and the burning got even worse, and slowly, his pain built up and built up until it arced in a crescendo of sizzling and agony, and shrieks of anguish and terror. Then, Allen shot up in his bed in a completely dark room, screaming at the top of his lungs, an ice cold sweat having formed all over his body and soaked into the bedding and his clothes. He breathed a sigh of relief, although it felt strange to breathe, as though he didn't need to. He looked down at himself and sighed.

_It was just a nightmare. I'm not a vampire. I wasn't close to death. I'm not really in a mob boss's office, and I needn't worry about anything._

Then, he tried to move his left arm and found that it wasn't there. There was merely a stump. It was longer than it normally would be had he lost his Innocence, but it was made of normal flesh, just like the rest of his body. The arm that once looked like it was completely tattooed was no more. Now, his arm was just going to grow into a normal arm. In a way, that was a relief, because it meant that the Innocence would no longer feed on his body, and he might live a little bit longer. On the other hand, it confirmed his "nightmare". The part where his Innocence corroded away and was destroyed, it was all real, and that meant… He felt his chest for a heartbeat, but didn't find any. He was a vampire. He had been turned into one of the undead. Of course, Arthur had only done what Allen had asked him to do, but still, it felt weird, and kind of scary to be a vampire now. And so it was that Allen was quite surprised when he heard a faint whisper behind him, and a hand on his left shoulder.

"Allen. You're awake… Are you feeling alright?" Road asked gently, sitting down next to him and embracing him tightly.

"I-I'm so… thirsty…" Allen gasped, his throat dry as parchment. Although he knew instinctually that he needed blood, he didn't want to ask Road for such a thing. He felt that would be wrong. Now he truly knew how Krory felt when Eliade offered him a drink of her blood. Nonetheless, Road seemed to know what Allen needed as well, and she began to unbutton the top few buttons of her blouse and let it fall off of her shoulder, baring her neck for him.

"Please. Take some of my blood. It will be alright, Allen." Road said, still holding him, her head leaning on his shoulder. For a moment, he stayed lying down, embracing her. He didn't really want to drink her blood. It somehow felt wrong to do so. But her neck looked so inviting. Her flesh was so soft and easy to penetrate, and she was making it so easy. How could he pass up such an opportunity? But no! He couldn't possibly drink Road's blood. The thought of it was disgusting. He would be treating her as little more than prey, and she wasn't his prey. She was his love.

"Please, Allen. I don't mind. It takes more than a little bit of blood loss to kill me." Road said, looking up pleadingly at Allen with those big, sparkling blue eyes of hers. Allen groaned. Eyes as beautiful as hers should have been made a crime long ago. Still, one look at those eyes of hers, and he would travel to the ends of the earth. He felt he was surely going mad, but all the same, he brushed her hair back and bit into her neck, slowly sinking his fangs into her. She gasped in shock as the sharp fangs pierced her flesh and drove themselves powerfully through a vein in her neck. She could even have severed her Carotid Artery of course, and she still wouldn't have died, because of her instant regeneration, but still, the feeling of all that blood gushing out of her was sort of… Strange. It was a sensation of being weak, utterly helpless, and yet… The sensual feeling that was coursing through her every nerve at that moment was like pure bliss given form. The rest of the world fell away and it was only her and Allen. She could feel his touch so powerfully, like every brush of his gloved hand was amplified tenfold. Her breathing began to come in ragged gasps. The feeling was amazing. She had never felt so alive, even as she was being drained of blood. Then, all too soon, Allen pulled away and gasped in shock. Apparently, he had felt it, too, her warm, luscious blood being drained from her body and being used to sustain his. It was like sex… Only better.

After the experience, both stared into each other's eyes for a moment, entranced by the other, then they drew closer together, and their lips met in a passionate kiss in which neither was willing to be the first to break it. Of course, Allen had an unfair advantage, given that he was a vampire, and therefore, didn't need to breathe, although he could pretend to breathe if he needed to do so to disguise himself, just like he didn't technically need to blink, although now he did so merely out of unconscious habit.

Finally, Road pulled away, gasping for breath. She looked at Allen indignantly, puffing her cheeks out and cupping Allen's face in her hands.

"That's unfair! You don't need to breathe, do you!"

"You got me, Road. As a vampire, breathing isn't really all that critical. Someone could cut right through my lungs and it wouldn't be any worse than a normal gash."

"Interesting. You know, this is kind of a turn on…" Road said, climbing all the way up on the bed and crawling toward Allen, straddling him, and kissing him on the lips again. Allen closed his eyes and drew Road closer, losing himself in the kiss, allowing himself to drift off into another world, one in which he and Road were alone. Unfortunately, fate was against him that day, as just then, the door opened and Arthur and a girl with black hair in two braids on either side of her head, large glasses and a lab coat walked in.

"Mr. Walker! A-and… Th-th-th-that N-Noah girl!" the scientist stuttered, nearly fainting, but managing to balance herself against the wall. Almost immediately, she pulled out a crucifix and a bottle of holy water, and advanced toward Road, brandishing the crucifix and splashing the former Noah with holy water.

"The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!" She screamed, succeeding in nothing more than getting Road wet and amusing her greatly. For a moment, she just stood there with a mocking half smile on her face, trying to suppress her smirk, then, the giggling began. She felt a little bit like the main villain of one of her favorite mangas, her evil laugh slowly building up from a minor fit of giggles to a full on roar of maniacal, gleeful laughter. She could feel her chest growing tight from holding in the laughter, and so she slowly let it out more and more, until…

"!" Road laughed, falling off the bed and rolling on the floor, unable to contain her mirth.

"What the hell are you doing, you nutjob!" Road cried, finally sitting up and wiping the tears away from her eyes. Slowly, the smile and the giggles faded, although occasionally she still relapsed into mild fits of giggling.

"W-well… I-I thought since you were a Noah, that you would react aversely to crosses and holy water…" the girl said timidly. Road smirked and stood up, drawing herself to her full height, which wasn't even as tall as the girl who had attacked her.

"What is your name, dear?" Road asked sweetly, a smile spreading across her face, lighting it up with jollity.

"L-Lou Fa… W-why do you care!" Lou Fa asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I don't, really. It just makes it easier to address you. Lou Fa, was it? Right. Apparently you have some misconceptions about the Clan of Noah. First of all, we're humans, not demons. Demons do exist, but they serve Satan. We don't serve Satan. We used to serve the Earl, but now that he's dead, we have no master. Could I see that bottle of holy water for a moment?"

"W-why?"

"You're so suspicious of me. I'm just thirsty. I… gave blood recently, and I'm not really supposed to do any vigorous activity for a day afterward, but… To tell you the truth, I was having too much fun with my dear Allen to stop for such a paltry stipulation."

"Y-you aren't human! Humans don't side with the Millennium Earl! Humans don't side with the Akuma!"

"Ah. Allen said the same thing when we first met, but I've given this speech dozens of times, and I have to say, it never gets old. The shocked looks on people's faces are totally worth it. The Clan of Noah were all normal humans at one time. We eat and sleep just like humans."

Slowly, Road walked over to Lou Fa and embraced her. Instantly, at the contact, Lou Fa stiffened.

"See? My body is warm, right? Doesn't it feel like two humans embracing? Allen can attest to the fact that I'm human. I'd prove it to you, but I'm not into girls."

Lou Fa stiffened further and managed to jerkily slide out of Road's grasp. Road merely looked on with amusement as Lou Fa ran over to Allen and hugged him tightly before drawing back, turning bright red and grinning in abject embarrassment.

"S-sorry, Mr. Walker…" Lou Fa said, pressing her forefingers together and glancing away. Allen looked between Road and Lou Fa with mild concern and then stood up.

"Road, I think you've traumatized Lou Fa enough. Could you give us a moment, Road? Arthur?"

"Allen!" Road complained. Allen sighed and went over to Road, kissing her in apology. "I promise, nothing is going on. She was one of the scientists at the Asian HQ who helped me get my Innocence back after Tyki destroyed it."

"I see. Alright. Call if you need anything…" Road said, glaring at Lou Fa, who met Road's glare with one of her own. Nonetheless, Road and Arthur walked out, leaving Allen and Lou Fa alone.

"Allen! How could you do this! You're… You're sleeping with the enemy!"

"She isn't our enemy anymore. She's just another human, albeit an obscenely powerful one."

"And that brings me to my next point! Your Innocence is gone! What happened! Did she destroy it! I'll kill her if she destroyed it!"

"She didn't, Lou Fa. I wish she had destroyed it immediately after the war. I might not have had to become _this_."

"B-become what?"

"You have to promise not to tell anyone!"

"I-I promise…" Lou Fa said nervously. Allen looked at her and held out his hand, concealing the blood that he had just drawn. All he had to do was surreptitiously draw blood from Lou Fa and shake her hand and the blood pact would be sealed. He wasn't turning her into a vampire, of course. He was merely sealing her tongue.

"You promise not to tell anyone what I'm about to tell you?"

"Yes. I promise not to tell anyone what you're about t-to tell me—OW!" Lou Fa yelped, as blood came out of the palm of her hand and Allen grasped it tightly, causing their blood to mix, sealing the deal so to speak.

"Sorry, Lou Fa. I had to. This is too dangerous to let it get out. Now, even if you try to tell someone, it will be physically impossible."

"What is so damn important that you had to cut my hand open to tell me!" Lou Fa cried, tears forming behind her glasses.

"I'm a vampire, Lou Fa. Becoming a vampire saved my life. Had I not accepted the gift, I would have died within the year."

"YOU'RE A VMMMPH! NGGHH! GROFFEE!" Lou Fa shrieked, her voice being muffled when Allen put a supernaturally strong hand over her mouth. Even though Lou Fa struggled, she couldn't break his grasp. Finally, she stopped, and Allen released her. She turned around and looked at him furiously.

"I _loved_ you, Mr. Walker! Were you really so afraid of death that you had to accept this pale imitation of life! Are you really such a coward! The Allen Walker that I first met wasn't afraid of anything! He was brave and strong and heroic, and he would have gladly died if it meant protecting his friends! Who are you protecting now! Yourself! YOU'RE A BLOODY COWARD!" She shrieked at him, shaking her fist wildly, tears flinging from the corners of her eyes. Allen looked at her somewhat resignedly. Until he met Road again, he hadn't been afraid to die. Now, he wanted to live so that he could be with her.

"Y-you're right, Lou Fa…" Allen said quietly, refusing to look at the scientist. He didn't want her to see him crying and think him even more pathetic than she already knew him to be.

"I-I am a coward. I was t-terrified of dying, of being alone again. I understand why you hate Road. She represents the very worst side of human nature. But I love her. You don't understand. Heaven isn't worth living in if Road isn't with me. Watching her from above would be even worse than being damned to hell."

"Mr. Walker… I-I'm sorry. I-I didn't know."

"It's alright. But there isn't anything that I can do, now. I am what I am, and I can only make the best of it. Besides, I've seen the afterlife. It's not exactly to die for…" Allen said, a feeble smile spreading across his face. Slowly, Lou Fa caught on and started giggling as well, and after a moment, the tension that had gathered in the room began to ebb away, to be replaced by levity and laughter.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Thinking back on it, it was probably immediately following his awakening as a vampire that marked the beginning of the end for Allen. The next night as he slept in his own bed once more, he began having dreams that greatly disturbed him. They weren't normal nightmares at all, but rather, dreams so vivid as to make him wonder if they weren't memories instead. The only difference between what was happening to Allen and resurfacing memories, was that the memories weren't even about him. They seemed to date back to the beginning of time, in fact, when God first created Adam, and Lilith, except that Adam more resembled Allen in looks, and Lilith looked exactly like Road. Whether this was indicative of the future, or whether they were merely strange dreams, Allen couldn't tell immediately, but he would soon find out that the dreams were merely precursors of even stranger things to happen, for in fact, at this time, Road was having similar dreams.

Little was she aware, of course, that inadvertently, she had set into play the series of events that would presage the rise once more of the Millennium Earl. It had all taken place within the Earl's plans, strangely. The Earl knew of the prophecy made by Hevlaska and knew that if anyone was to kill him, that it would be Allen. However, the Earl had no intention of dying without leaving someone to carry on his noble work. Therefore, he had suggested surreptitiously that Road be the one to go to the Rewinding Town so that she could meet Allen, and it was he that made sure that Road was one of the Noahs still on the Ark when Allen reached the top. In these ways, he was sure that Road would at least form some attraction to him, increasing his own chances of creating a successor.

Thereafter, the Earl happily granted Road's Christmas wish to have Allen, and when she slept with him, they exchanged fluids, presealing the contract between Noah and Human. Then, all that had to happen was for Allen to kill the Earl. When he did, the Earl's powers would be taken into Allen, and the mix of latent Dark Energy and the Earl's own latent powers inside Allen would mix and eventually cause him to awaken to the Earl's legacy, thereby becoming the next Adam. Of course, it was merely a side effect of the whole process that Road would awaken to the memories and powers of Lilith, and become "Adam's" bride in the face of the new world order that would soon after rise from the ashes of the old world.

Of course, The Earl theoretically could have chosen Lulu Bell for the task of awakening Allen to His power. However, Road had always been his favorite, and the one that he trusted above all others, and this was a task that he couldn't risk having botched for obvious reasons. And so, Allen became the successor to the Earl's New World Order… The successor to the Clan of Noah. The successor to the Akuma, and everything else that the Earl represented. Allen's transformation to vampirism, of course, wasn't part of the Earl's plan, but did speed up the process, catalyzing Allen's awakening to the Dark Energy by removing from play the Innocence that was canceling out the Dark Energy's progress in that area. And so, just like for any Noah, the first sign of their awakening was the disturbing dreams that plagued their sleep.

Allen flew up in bed, his eyes shooting open, and his chest heaving in and out. Then, he remembered that he didn't need to breathe, and he stopped. Nonetheless, he was covered in a cold sweat that drenched the sheets and his clothes. Allen groaned. This had been the second time in one night that he had awoken from a bad dream, and had been forced to switch beds because the first one was too wet from sweating. Already, even though it had only been one night, he was beginning to wonder if he was going mad. Nonetheless, he didn't want to wake Road up. He had already awoken her when he woke up the first time, as they had been sleeping in the same bed, and his movement had disturbed her. He didn't want that to happen again. And therefore, he made sure that he was quiet as he snuck downstairs to the kitchen after once again changing his clothes. He figured that if he couldn't sleep, he could at least rest for a while.

Ironically, vampires were the only undead that needed to sleep like humans did. They didn't need nearly as much sleep, usually only 4 or 5 hours, but in that time, they usually went into a comatose state from which they could not be woken by outside interference. Turning the lights on, turning on the television too loud, all the noise in the world wouldn't rouse them. However, vampires, just like mortals, were susceptible to bad dreams, which could awake them. Dreams for vampires, like dreams for humans, usually only lasted five to ten minutes, but they could seem like hours, especially if they were particularly bad dreams. Allen had been having one of those dreams.

In Allen's dream, he had just eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree after the snake had spoken to him, and God was delivering his wrath unto both him and Eve. The Garden of Eden was being torn apart as God tried to smite him for his sin of disobedience. But all the while, he wondered why God didn't want him to have the knowledge granted by the fruit of that particular tree. It seemed unfair that God should have such knowledge that he would keep secret from him and Eve, and then punish them so severely when their curiosity brought them to it. Suddenly, Allen began to feel a burning hatred for God, a hatred that could not be described by such paltry mortal tongues. It was a rage toward the God that had kept secrets from him and lied to him. The sudden feeling that he had to destroy God, by destroying the Black Order came surging through his mind, and as much as he tried to suppress the feeling, it was getting the better of him. That was when…

"Allen…"

Road's gentle and loving voice spoke up behind him. She put her arms around him loosely, kissing him sweetly on the lips, not in a lustful, or desirous fashion, but in a way that indicated her wish to soothe his turbulent emotions. Allen felt his face and found that he had been crying. He hadn't even noticed that tears had formed in his eyes. Slowly, Road brushed her thumb under Allen's eyes and wiped the tears away, pulling him into a gentle embrace, rubbing small circles on his back and rocking back and forth with him. She knew what it felt like to feel such terror, such absolute and all consuming fear and hatred for God, to hate him for what he had done. To hate the Innocence for what it represented. To hate the exorcists. Indeed, no mortal could claim mastery of the exorcists. Sure, the Pope, and that Leverrier fellow held a tenuous control over the exorcists, but only because they respected and feared them respectively.

Leverrier wielded political influence, and the Pope claimed to be the human Avatar of God, even though he was merely an ex-bishop, formerly a cardinal, previously a priest, chosen by humans to serve humans. God didn't serve humans. Humans served God, and that was what God expected of his human followers. In the eyes of the Noah, and probably in others' eyes, he arrogantly ruled from above, expecting absolute service and obedience, while giving nothing in return. The Innocence didn't count, because he expected humans to use it to fight and die in his name. Jesus didn't count because he only sent him as a messenger of his own word, and then expected Jesus to die for him, to prove how wonderful and perfect God was.

Road had, for as long as she could remember, resented God. Resented the way he allowed humans to suffer, had left her to suffer personally. She felt deeply wronged by God, and the memories of Noah only further proved her beliefs that God didn't love humans. He looked down on them as mortal slaves and made empty promises. Turn her life around indeed. It was despicable that the angel would even suggest such a thing, and then sit idly by as God tortured the only man that she ever loved. Was this one of God's little tests? To see if her faith was real? Did he intend her to rise to the occasion? Well, if he did, then he could forget it. She now knew that in order to truly be happy with Allen, that she had to destroy the Order, and God. Whether she achieved it in her lifetime or not was a whole other story. She had to try, though.

"Road? What are these dreams that I'm having!" Allen asked, hardly able to keep his voice steady. Road looked at Allen sympathetically and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You're witnessing the memories of Adam, just as I am witnessing the memories of Lilith. I don't fully understand it, but for whatever reason,_ you_ have become the new Millennium Earl. What you do with that power is your choice. You know what the first Earl did with it. And now you understand why."

"I do. I never would have thought that I could understand the Earl's motivation, but I do, now. And it terrifies me that God could possibly be so cruel. I am not quite sure what I'm supposed to do, now, though."

"Well, I can't say what you should do. Only you can decide that, Allen. If you just want to talk to me about it, though, I promise I'll listen. I'm a pretty good listener."

A/N: I have several points to make before I truly end this chapter. Then you can flame me for making it so short.

The views on God and on religion that are expressed in this chapter are solely those of the characters who express them, and do not represent my own beliefs on the subject. While I am not a very religious person by nature, I do acknowledge the importance of God to many people, and I can see the merits of organized religion.

I suppose I should apologize for how short the chapter was. I hope that the next one is longer, although I won't make any promises due to the fact that very few things in this story are thus far set, save for the things that I have already written. Please enjoy the rest of this fanfic.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

As Allen did his exercises that morning, something felt a little bit strange. He felt somehow stronger, even more so than he felt he would be as a vampire. Though there was a chance that it was merely part of being a vampire, Allen felt fairly sure that it was because the Earl's powers were finally beginning to show themselves. Allen's left arm had finally grown back, and was a normal arm, now. It felt good to have a normal arm. Back when his Innocence was embedded in his arm, the arm was always stiff and hard to use, but now it moved so freely and easily. It was like his arm was as light as air, even though it was as strong as ten men. He felt sure that he could get used to having the Earl's powers and the abilities of a vampire. Everyone always considered vampires to be evil. But just because they had an exotic diet didn't mean that they were evil. That was like saying that lions were evil because they killed other animals. Well, vampires fed off of humans, although Allen had learned that he didn't need to kill the human. He could easily take enough blood to satisfy himself, but not enough to kill them. Sure, it would make them dizzy for a little while, and they wouldn't be able to do any heavy exercise for a day or two, but it wasn't life threatening.

Once he was done with his exercises, he started to go to make breakfast. But then he remembered that he no longer needed to eat like normal people did. He would only need to make breakfast for Road, who probably wouldn't be awake for a few hours. And so, Allen decided to go out for a little while. He put on his Black Order coat, smiling at the irony of wearing the coat of an exorcist when he was a vampire, and walked out into the morning sun. Although he was dazed at first from the sudden stream of light into his face, he had remembered to put on his sun block beforehand, so the sun wouldn't do any damage. He took a deep breath and then started running before disappearing from sight, having reached flashing speed. Flashing still made Allen tired fairly quickly, but he practiced every day to get better at it. He also had begun to practice his other vampiric powers, or at least the ones that Arturo had described as being universal to vampires; superstrength… Inhuman speed, and so on and so forth.

Whenever Allen flashed, he felt an exhilaration that he usually associated with the electricity coursing through his body. Today, though, it felt different. It felt like there was something else flowing through him as well. It was a kind of dark power that would consume him if he didn't learn to properly control and release it. Finally, he stopped. As he no longer needed to breathe, he wasn't breathing heavily, but he was sweating heavily, and he felt exhausted. He had made sure to stop outside of town so that nobody could follow him. He didn't want to run into anyone with annoying questions that would be hard to answer.

Already he was feeling the negative effects of the sun. Despite the fact that he had put on powerful sun block, he felt as though he had been running for fifty miles, and he looked around for some shade and sat down. It was Sunday. Normally, he would be in church at that time, but he didn't feel like going to church, nor was he sure of the consequences of doing so. He had read in stories that going into a church could kill a vampire, and he hadn't talked to Arturo about such things. Not yet, anyway. It seemed strange to have to admit that he no longer felt comfortable in a church, a place that had always felt like a sanctuary for him. God had always given him some respite, some feeling of hope that maybe the world wasn't as terrible a place as it seemed to be. Maybe all of the horrible, vile people that he met in his time as an exorcist were merely representative of a small group of deviants who weren't content to be good… But now he was beginning to wonder if it maybe wasn't the other way around. Perhaps the larger group of "good" people only represented the people who were too weak to take what they wanted, and so they lied to themselves, telling themselves that it's wrong to do so. And if one looked at it that way, then lying was a sin in itself, and therefore, the "good" people were no better than the "evil" people. If one looked at it that way, then the world was full of nothing but slothful cowards, cutthroats and criminals. And as the saying went, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. And these were some evil Romans.

Incidentally, Allen had known for a long time that "good" and "evil" were relative concepts, subject to the point of view of the one making such judgments. In the Earl's eyes, he had been doing the right thing, taking back his rightful place as the ruler of the world, and in the eyes of the Noah Clan, they had been doing what they were destined to do. Concepts such as "good" and "evil" didn't even figure into Fate. After all, fate is impartial to right and wrong, good and evil, black and white. Fate treats everyone equally, and everyone, even the Earl, even the Noahs, and every human, vampire, and other creature that walked the earth or flew through the skies was nothing more than a pawn in Fate's plan… And everything always went according to Fate's plan, because Fate knew all, saw all, and indeed, it was all. It permeated every facet of society and dictated the actions of every man, woman, child and beast. Nobody was immune to its grand, yet subtle manipulations.

People all over the world had different names for Fate. The Christians and Jews believe in ascension into heaven or descent into hell. The Muslims believe in reincarnation, and eventually Nirvana. The Hindus believe in Karma, and ultimately in reincarnation. No matter what one called Fate, though, none could deny that it was there, pulling strings behind every event, large or small in history. Perhaps Fate had long since grown disgusted with humanity and had decided millennia ago to destroy it, to do it slowly, or perhaps quickly, depending on how long a view Fate was taking. Allen didn't really know. Nor did he care. All he could say for sure was that God didn't deserve his respect, or his worshipful adulation. The Noah Family had been right all along. And now, it was Allen's duty to prove it to the world. He would succeed where the Earl once had failed.

With this thought in mind, Allen jumped off the chair and sighed, walking out into the night to feed, little else on his mind than the delicious, metallic taste of blood in his mouth as his teeth penetrated his victim's flesh. His mouth watered at the mere concept.

Road groaned. It was late, and she had just gotten off work. It wasn't that work was hard. After all, she was a master of over half a dozen forms of martial arts. She just hated being out so late. Despite all the power that she had attained over the centuries, being out alone at night still scared her slightly. And not for nothing, either. When she had still been a mortal, murder, theft and assault were commonplace. In a time when nobody else would look out for you, you always had to look after number one. And Road was no exception. She counted three times that she remembered being beaten down, robbed and left in an alley at night. That was why she hated the dark. Unfortunately, she had never quite gotten over her phobia.

Suddenly, she heard the _tap, tap, tap, tap_ of hard soled shoes walking down the cobblestone street, mimicking her footsteps so as not to arouse suspicion. Road could always hear the difference between her footsteps and another person's, though. This one was a man, and from the sound of his footfall, a fairly tall and large man. Road turned sharply and crossed the street, making it into the dimly flickering light of the street lamp that was on every corner. She then looked all around, but saw nobody. Slowly, her brow wrinkled into an annoyed and suspicious scowl. However, she continued walking, still listening for any sign of someone following her. For a little while, she didn't hear anything. But then, she heard that familiar _tap, tap, tap, tap_ of the hard soled shoes against the cobblestone street. This time, Road sneered in disgust, but pretended that nothing was wrong, only kept walking. She planned to catch him off guard and catch him in the act. However, her limbs stiffened slightly, and her step became more rapid and mechanical as she continued past the corner streetlights and made her routine turns. She knew the way to Allen's house by heart, now. It was an internal compass that seemed to lead her to him. However, she was sure that he wouldn't be home. After all, he was a vampire, and when the night was still so young, he would have to feed.

Strangely, even through her tension and anxiety at being followed, she felt a twinge of jealousy at Allen feeding off of other people. Did he toy with them first? Allen didn't seem the type to prolong the hunt. No, that was more like Arturo. Allen would most likely catch his prey, feed on them enough to knock them unconscious until the next morning, and then move on to another person. Knowing Allen, he wouldn't want to kill anyone, so instead of killing one person, he would half drain two people. There were risks involved with that, namely, more people to identify him. However, most people wouldn't believe a nutjob who said they were attacked by a vampire, even if they had the bite marks to prove it… Which they wouldn't, because vampire saliva heals wounds extremely quickly, and all that would be left were two tiny scars that could be easily explained away as some natural phenomenon.

Suddenly, though, her mind left Allen, because as her mind had wandered, her pace had slowed and she had allowed her stalker to get far too close for comfort. She heard footsteps rapidly approaching behind her, when… SLAM! Road was smashed up against a wall, dazing her for a moment, and then thrown bodily into an alleyway by someone at least twice her size. Of course, being twice as large as Road wasn't saying much, considering she wasn't even five feet tall. Yes, she was a rather diminutive girl, even for one who had stopped aging at such a young age. Most of the girls her age back in the Middle Ages had been at least 5'2". However, this wasn't the time to worry about being short. Road groaned and stood up to see a hulking man with bulging muscles who was easily 6'8". It was easy to see how he had picked her up off her feet like he did. It wasn't any less annoying, though.

Hoping to intimidate the man, she instantly changed into her Noah form, the familiar cross shaped stigmata appearing on her forehead, and her skin turning a pale shade of gray. She grinned her usual mocking Noah grin, her eyes wide with faux madness and real malice.

"Perhaps you don't know who I am, human…" She said with a snicker, doubling over in a fit of giggles and then jumping up to stand on the man's shoulders and sitting down, bending over his head for a moment before jumping again and bouncing off the wall, headbutting the man in the back.

"That tickled, girlie. You may be able to off most people with that parlor trick, but I'm a little bit tougher than that. And yes, I know exactly who you are… Road Kamelot of the Noah Clan, girlfriend of the traitorous former exorcist, Allen Walker, and the Dreams of Noah. Yes, we have a large file on you. It's rather annoying that they sent me out to take care of a little girl, but I suppose that they felt I was the best man for the job."

"May I ask your name, Mr. General?"

"Winters Sokaro. Several other captains have been dispatched to take out your fellow Noahs, and I believe that Cross should be finding Allen fairly soon."

"What! Cross! But Cross is dead!"

"No. Cross is not dead, though I wish I could say that he were, the flamboyant, greedy, selfish bastard. But goodbye…"

With that, Winters activated his Innocence, ignoring all of the buildings around them, and spinning his double bladed sword, throwing it at Road, who jumped out of the way just in time and then was forced to make a second jump as the blade came back around and into Winters' hand. Winters charged at Road, who drew a knife from inside her sleeve and slashed, cutting Winters across the chest, causing a small amount of blood to splatter onto Road's face. Road sneered and jumped up, kicking Sokaro in the face and then bouncing off, doing a flip and a spin in the air and kicking him again as hard as she could to the back of the head, causing Winters to fly face first into the ground. He grunted as he hit the trash cans and shook his head, clearing the fog from it. Instantly, though, he jumped up and grabbed Road before she could jump again and smashed her against the wall with one hand, breaking a rib. He then punched her once, twice, three times in the face, breaking her nose and her jaw. With each successive blow, Road grunted in pain. Just because she could regenerate almost instantly didn't mean that she couldn't feel pain. And she had always been more of a sadist than a masochist.

Slowly, her wounds healed, and she felt herself go back to full health. Apparently Winters didn't know about her Noah abilities. If he had, then he would have cut her body into ribbons and then set fire to the pieces. Although that would only have incapacitated her for a few weeks. Three weeks to a month later, she would just walk right in Allen's door and greet him as though nothing was wrong. Allen would gasp, and then kiss her passionately and they would make hot love right in the entryway… At least, this was the fantasy that was going on in Road's mind at the moment. Road had no idea how it would actually turn out. Only once had she actually been damaged enough to actually kill her, and that had been over two centuries before, when a general whose name she had long forgotten slashed her to pieces, burned the pieces in a consecrated fire and poured holy water on the ashes before scattering them in a graveyard. Apparently, the general had thought that she was a vampire. But still, she came back a year later and the Earl was overjoyed that she was alright. He even threw a party for her. She remembered very well because at that time, she was not the oldest Noah. There was one Noah who had been with the Earl from the beginning. In fact, it was Noah's fifth great grandson, Amajad. Unfortunately, he was killed by the same general that once killed Road ten years before Road died and eleven before she came back.

Remembering what a pain it was to die, Road kicked Sokaro in the face again and flipped back, bouncing off the walls and drawing three shuriken out of her sleeve, throwing one at his throat, which just missed the Carotid Artery, and two at his eyes, both of which hit dead on. Winters roared in agony and his arms flailed out with his sword in his hand, slicing off Road's arm. Road yelped in pain and backed away furiously, glaring hatefully at Sokaro. She then flicked her wrist, extending her wrist blade that was attached to her arm, and flew at Winters and sliced right through his Carotid Artery, and deeper into his neck. Sokaro yelled in rage as he fell to the ground and his sword dropped. Road went over to him and stomped on his chest, breaking three ribs in the process, and then she picked up the sword, heavy as it was and drew the Innocence out of it. She had to find Allen quickly, or he would be left alone to fight Cross, whom she was sure would have no compunctions about killing his former apprentice. Immediately, she destroyed the Innocence and then jammed the blade through Sokaro's throat, killing him instantly.

"Hello, Allen. Long time, no see. I never expected to find you in such a pathetic state, even if you are my idiot apprentice…"

"Hello, Master, it's good to see you again." Allen said, his obvious annoyance etched into his face. Cross laughed heartily.

"Don't lie, Allen. It's unbecoming. Besides, I only meant that it surprised me that you would choose to become a vampire. You always seemed like such a brave person, if a little stupid. So why on earth would you take the coward's way out?"

"Well, back when you knew me, or when you thought you knew me, I didn't have anyone that I loved enough to choose such a thing. You of all people should know that I didn't have much longer with my Innocence eating away at my life force. A year, maybe two at best."

"I see. And who is the extraordinarily unlucky woman?" He asked sarcastically. He groaned inwardly, though. He knew full well that Klaud Nyne hated when he was rude to other people. It was just in his nature, though. He was an asshole by nature, and he didn't see why he should try to conceal it.

"I do hope that the rumors are wrong and that you aren't really _living_ with Road Kamelot of the Noah Family."

"Someone must have a big mouth. Only a few people really know about that. Among them are Lenalee, Kanda, Timothy, Miranda, and Krory… Tell me, which one spilled the beans?"

"None of them. Our intelligence gatherers have seen you and she together, and you looked rather like a couple. We put the rest together for ourselves. And by the way, you should call her General Lee, now. She became a general only recently when we realized that we still had much to do."

"Well, please congratulate her for me… That is, if you survive, Cross," Allen said, and with little to no warning, he flashed before Cross's eyes and jumped into the air in a grand arc, bringing his knees up into his chest and thrusting his arms out to his side to keep his balance. The long, heavy Dark Order coat that he wore now, which looked similar to the first coat that he had gotten, flapped in the chill breeze behind him as he crossed his legs and then extended them elaborately before twisting in midair and using his claws to slash at Cross, who gracefully moved out of the way, despite having been surprised at how fast Allen had moved.

"That isn't your Innocence arm anymore. It's a normal arm. What happened?" Cross asked curiously. Allen grinned maniacally and then made a less elaborate move, going right past Cross with another flash, drawing a dagger while he was at it and slashing at Cross, who just barely had time to move before the dagger sunk into his flesh. As it was, Cross was injured anyhow, albeit only slightly. It was a mere scratch, compared to what Allen had intended to do, which was completely gut his former master. He figured that was a quick, but rather painful way to kill Cross. And how he wanted Cross to die a miserable and agonizingly slow death. He couldn't count the number of times he had wished that someone would just murder Cross and get it over with.

So, without so much as batting an eyelash, Allen thrust his hand forward and into Cross's back, dragging down, causing Cross to groan in agony before jumping away. Clamping his hand over his wound, Cross reached into his coat and took out an ointment, which he smeared over his wound, instantly stopping the bleeding. He smirked at Allen.

"This styptic may not be able to heal major damage, but it can stop bleeding pretty well."

"You know, I have something like that, myself. It's called rapid healing. I'm wide open right now, Cross. Even as we speak, you could be using one or both of your weapons to take care of me."

"Oh, you know as well as I do that Innocence doesn't do anything major to vampires. Only to Noahs and Akuma."

"Then perhaps you would see fit to use it on me?" Road asked, walking up behind Allen and surprising him by easily jumping clear over his head and landing nimbly on the ground before him, not making a sound as her feet fell to the cobblestones below.

"Oh. It's the adorable female Noah that captured my young apprentice's heart… Or perhaps she _stole_ it. I wouldn't put it past the little tramp…"

Allen pushed Road gently aside, his shoulders beginning to shake with rage already.

"Shut up…" he growled through clenched teeth. Road looked at him nervously, then at Cross. She put a single hand on Allen's shoulder and then embraced him tightly.

"Allen, it doesn't matter what he says about me. Do you really think I haven't been called worse things by greater men than him?"

"You're trying to play a passive role, Noah? You should think about the opponent's knowledge of you before you try to trick them with roleplaying."

"Quiet!"

But I mean really, Allen. If she's willing to murder innocent people, I think she would be willing to seduce an Exorcist for the Earl's nefarious ends… Do you really think that you're the first man she's ever seduced? She's been alive for over 500 years. She's probably led many exorcists to their doom through seduction and temptation."

"SHUT UP!" Allen yelled, his fists so tight now that his claws were cutting into his hand. His foot stomped the ground, leaving a small crater in it. Cross laughed.

"I seem to have struck a nerve. Perhaps you've been wondering all along how faithful she really is to you? Alas, though…" Cross sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't be mad at you. More intelligent exorcists have probably been led to their doom by this little harpy. Did you think that killing the Earl would stop the Noah from being exactly who they were before? She hasn't… GAAH!" Cross yelled as his face was slashed open by a wild attack from Allen. Cross cursed and dove back to avoid the worst of the damage, but his mask was rent, and his face got slash marks across it, destroying his glasses in the process. Cross had easily been one of the most powerful generals among the entire Order, but he was still having trouble fighting Allen. It was as though some unknown power was aiding Allen in his vicious assaults on the general.

"What did you do to yourself…" Cross growled as he held a hand over his face, slowly applying the styptic to these wounds as well. Allen shrugged and shook his head.

"Who can say? Perhaps you're just slowing down, old man. After all, you aren't as young as you used to be."

"Haha! I'm starting to like the new Allen! You're quicker and have a sharper tongue. I still have plenty of youth left to destroy the likes of you, though…"

With that, Cross loaded six silver bullets into Judgment and fired all of them at once in a cross shape at Allen, who easily jumped over them, and watched as they hit the building behind him. Thinking he was safe, Allen smirked and wagged his finger, but then one bounced back and got him in the leg, shattering inside and releasing holy water. Allen shrieked in agony and rage and fell to one knee. Road looked up at Cross in shock and anger, and swiped her arm, drawing Cross instantly into her pocket dimension. From there, she disappeared, and her disembodied voice sounded all around Cross.

"Now, you will pay for harming Adam… Allen!" She said angrily, and Cross cringed as five candles were jammed into his arm forcing him to drop his weapon. Road continued this, firing one candle at a time at him, slowly draining him of blood, going for five minutes before she released the illusion, and came back to Earth, standing before him.

"Now, Cross… You will leave your weapon and never show your face here again!"

Cursing, Cross tried to pick up Judgment, but Road stomped on his hand and broke it, picking up the gun herself and extracting the Innocence, immediately destroying it. As the Innocence dust blew away in the breeze, Cross sneered and finally disappeared in a small gust of wind, as though by magic. After all, Cross was a sorcerer as well as an Exorcist. At least Road had destroyed one of his Anti-Akuma weapons, though. Unfortunately, he had another, called the Grave of Maria, a powerful parasitic Innocence which he used magic to control. How Road hated the fact that he could use magic. No exorcist should be able to do such a thing. It seemed an art that should be reserved solely for users of Dark Matter. But then, Cross wasn't exactly a good guy. He had the ability to manipulate other people's innocence, and the ability to reprogram Akuma. He often ran from the Order to go gallivanting around the world. He couldn't possibly be called a good person.

Road and Allen looked at each other. They knew that it was not yet over. They knew that more exorcists would be coming, and that they would need to begin to scour the world for the newest Disciples of Noah.

A/N: This is the longest chapter that I've written so far, I think… At least in this story. Tell me what you think. I hope it didn't get boring.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"So, Winters Sokaro is really dead?" Klaud Nyne asked curiously. She had never particularly liked Winters, although she respected him as a fellow general. Lenalee nodded, clearly disturbed by the fact that a general could so easily have been killed. When they found his body, he didn't have his sword on him, which meant that his Innocence had also been taken, and probably destroyed. Uncharacteristically for Cross, he came back as well, having found Sokaro and carried him to the Order. When he showed up, though, he wasn't carrying his gun, and said that Road and Allen had destroyed Judgment. But had for some unknowable reason, let him escape with Grave of Maria, and his life. He felt sure that had they worked together, that they could have annihilated him, but that perhaps Allen's own sentiments had gotten in the way.

So worried was Lenalee about Allen that she didn't even notice when Lavi came up behind her. He had been sent for by the Order because of the Clan of Noah's reappearance. He didn't know any better than Lenalee how Allen was now involved in the Clan, but he knew that Allen had somehow been seduced to evil by Road. He had never liked Road, and with good reason. She was a nutjob. But perhaps Allen saw something in her that he didn't, and perhaps it wasn't actually Road who had turned Allen to evil. Lavi, of course, couldn't be sure, because he hadn't been there when it happened. Sometimes, Lavi acted like a moron, but in truth, he was anything but. He had an eidetic memory, and knew more about history than anyone else in the Order… Apart from his master, Bookman.

"Hi, Lenalee… Are you alright?" Lavi asked gently. He was worried about her. She had been out of it for days, ever since Cross got back to the Order, and was immediately taken to the infirmary.

"EEEK!" Lenalee shrieked, turning around and punching Lavi in the gut. Lavi grunted and backed away from Lenalee as she came to, and noticed that it was just him.

"Lavi! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean…"

"It's alright, Lenalee. I understand. You're worried about Allen. I am, too. I think even Yu is slightly disturbed. He became a general around the same time as you, and he's been mediating twice as much as usual, and ignoring me even more than he normally does."

Suddenly, Lenalee hugged Lavi tightly refusing to let go. She had been holding back her tears all day, not wanting to seem weak, and now she couldn't stand it anymore. She had loved Allen so much, and seeing him fall in love with Road was bad enough, but now, knowing that he was killing off his former comrades was more than she could take. Maybe he knew something that she didn't, something that would give him reason to have a vendetta against the Order, but that still didn't make it alright to kill people. She had to talk to him. She was sure that if she went and talked to him, that she could make him see that what he was doing was wrong. She wasn't sure if she could look at him anymore, though, without seeing his evil bubbling right to the surface.

Suddenly, though, her thoughts were dashed twofold by Komui rushing in and seeing her being embraced by Lavi. This naturally led to a huge scene all by itself, with Komui calling out Komlin to attack Lavi, and both Lavi and Lenalee trying to destroy Komlin, along with all of the other exorcists in the area, who, despite their efforts, were being knocked out with tranquilizer darts by Komui. Finally, though, the second reason that Lenalee's thoughts were disturbed burst into action and pulled out his gun, firing six bullets at Komlin, instantly blowing him to ashes. Cross then smirked and walked over to Lenalee, bowing and stroking her cheek gently.

"Hello, fair Lenalee. I heard that you were unbearably worried about my state of health while I was incapacitated, and have therefore come to assure you that I could not possibly be in better health!" He shouted flamboyantly, laughing self indulgently. Then he started going off into a long winded and self serving speech.

"Ah, I remember when you were but a young lass. Of course, I always knew that you would grow into a beautiful young lady, but seeing you like this now, warms my heart something fierce…" Finally, though, he was smacked over the head by Klaud Nyne, who had snuck up behind him while he was blabbering on about how great he was, having gotten annoyed ten syllables earlier, and decided to put a stop to his nonsense.

"I am very sorry, Miss Lee… It seems that he can't even afford his fellow generals the proper respect. You should not be worried about him. He used an illusion to make it seem like his Innocence was destroyed, but he still has it, and is just as healthy and obnoxious as ever."

"I see…" Lenalee responded, smiling in relief, to which Klaud Nyne smiled back. "I'm glad to hear that. We can't afford to lose any more Innocence to the Noah."

"It's true. But please don't try to confront Allen alone. He's extremely dangerous, and as much as I hate to admit it, if he can injure Cross in battle, then he isn't one to be with…" Klaud said quietly, looking away, not wanting to meet Lenalee's stare. Lenalee had always had a lot of respect for Klaud Nyne, being the first female general in over a century. She was extraordinarily talented, but also kind and understanding.

"General Nyne? W-would you… Come with me when I go talk to Allen?" Lenalee asked nervously. Klaud Nyne looked at Lenalee in shock. She hadn't been expecting such a request.

"Do you realize what you're asking! He could destroy both of us! If he's willing to kill Cross, do you think he'd honestly give a second thought to killing you or I!"

"I don't know. I'm going with or without you, General, but I would appreciate it if you did. I know it's unreasonable to ask you to risk your life on such a petty request, but I'm sure that Allen isn't as bad as it seems he is. If I just had a chance to talk to him, I know we could work something out."

"Fine, Lenalee. We'll go right now."

Lenalee knocked loudly on Allen's door, making sure that her knock couldn't be missed. Almost immediately, she was answered by Road, who came to the door, grinning as she opened it. Once she did, though, her grin turned to a glare, and she drew back into a fighting stance, and called for Allen.

"Don't worry, Road. She is not here to attack us. She merely wishes to talk. Please, come in, General Lee, General Nyne."

The two generals walked in, removing their boots and sitting at the table across from Allen, staring into his supernaturally piercing eyes, the eyes of a true predator, the eyes of a vampire, and of Adam. Slowly and cautiously, Road walked over and joined Allen at the table, staring expectantly at the two female generals, positive that she couldn't trust them. She trusted Allen, but she didn't trust the two exorcists as far as she could throw them. She was ready to fight at a moment's notice, when finally, Lenalee spoke.

"I'm sorry that I came here unexpectedly, Allen-kun…"

"On the contrary, General Lee. I was sure that you would show up. I wasn't positive which day, but I knew that eventually your inquisitive, yet trusting nature would show itself. If I had to guess, you're wondering why Road killed Sokaro Winters."

"Of course I'm wondering! What were you thinking! You used to be such a good person, Allen-kun! How could you just betray the Order like this!"

"I merely wish to reveal the truth. I wish to reveal the truth that the Order doesn't want known. Of course, General Nyne was aware of the human experiments that went on in the Order years ago. But are you, General Lee?"

"W-what experiments!"

"Experiments into combining Akuma DNA with humans. Experiments into forcing humans to bond with the Innocence. Yu Kanda himself was a victim of those experiments. For years, they caused him unbearable agony. Him and his friend, Alma Karma. Both had such great regenerative ability due to the Akuma cells in their bodies that even if they were destroyed, they came back to life after just a few minutes. And so, they kept attempting to force the Innocence to bond with them, and continually, they failed. Well, eventually, Alma Karma had to be put to sleep and preserved to create the next generation of crossbreeds. However, Kanda finally found Mugen and was put to work as an exorcist. So you see, the Order is just as ruthless as the Noah. They don't care about right or wrong. To them, all that matters is winning. To them, the ends justify any means. The people that you work for, that you serve so unquestioningly are every bit as vile and wretched as the most evil of men! And God is just as uncaring and unforgiving as man! He wiped out the entire world, tried to kill my forebear, Adam, and his bride, Lilith!"

"Adam sinned against God, and Lilith was a wicked temptress!" Klaud Nyne shouted angrily.

"NO! God is the evil one! He cannot be forgiven! I will never forget! I will never forgive! Talking is pointless! The only way we can settle our differences is through war! I will allow you to leave with your lives today, but if you show your faces again, you won't be so lucky!" Allen screamed, slamming his fist on the table, making a long crack along the area where his fist impacted.

"You know that we can't just leave you, Allen…" Klaud Nyne said quietly, standing and petting her monkey. Allen grinned maniacally, and shook his head.

"Then, you will die, and may God comfort you in the afterlife…" he said mockingly, touching his fingers together and making an arc of lightning between them. He was still experimenting with some of his abilities, and didn't yet know the extent to which he could use them. However, he figured that he was extremely powerful, no matter how he looked at it. Flashing at the two generals, he struck them with an unarmed attack, shocking them in the process, causing them to fly across the room. He then jumped up into the air and hung off the ceiling for a moment before launching himself at Klaud Nyne, perceiving her to be the greater threat at the moment. He was not remembering, of course, that if he destroyed Lenalee's Innocence, that all of the other Innocence would also be destroyed. He shot by Klaud Nyne and slashed at her with his claws, leaving a deep gash in her side, causing Lenalee to gasp, and Klaud Nyne to fall to the ground in pain.

"Klaud!" Lenalee cried, starting to run toward her. Road stopped her, though, and flicked a knife into her hand, preparing to fight the exorcist.

"Is this what you want, Road! Do you _want_ Allen to become a murderer! Wasn't it his good nature that made you fall in love with him in the first place!" Lenalee said loudly, trying to move around Road, but failing.

"It was originally his innocence that attracted me to him, his faith, and his conviction, but there's so much more to Allen than what you knew about him, Lenalee, dear. For example, did you know that the Fourteenth was actually Mana Walker's brother, which was why he knew the secret code that Mana and Allen made up? Mana gave asylum to the Fourteenth for years before the Earl found him and killed him. So in a way, the Fourteenth is Allen's adoptive uncle, making him related by law to the Clan of Noah. The Fourteenth is still latent inside of Allen. But that traitor will never escape his human prison. Did you think that it was a coincidence that Allen and I fell in love? Did you think that the Romeo and Juliet situation that had so absurdly played out before our very eyes was a fluke? No ma'am. There is no such thing as coincidence in life. There is only destiny, and through destiny, all humans are connected. The death of a human leads to the birth of another, and so the cycle continues. The death of the Fourteenth led to the birth of Allen, and because Mana saw the Fourteenth so much in Allen, he adopted him, and taught him the secret code that he would one day need to know. Is any of this making sense to your feeble mind, darling?"

"Nothing you say makes sense! It's all despicable lies! Allen could never be related to a Noah!"

"Oh, but not only is he related to a Noah, he _is_ a Noah."

At the shocked and horrified look on Lenalee's, Road went into a fit of giggles. She looked over at Allen, who was still busy fighting Klaud Nyne, although he appeared to be merely toying with her.

"Ah… Poor little Lenalee. You couldn't understand even if I did explain it to you, which I'm not really that inclined to do. How could you possibly understand the motives of someone such as the Earl, who has lived for 7,000 years, who was betrayed by the same God that created him? How could you possibly comprehend Lilith's feelings, who God tried to destroy merely for wanting knowledge? God would have kept Adam and Lilith in ignorance. However, Lilith ate the 'forbidden fruit', and offered some to Adam. At first, Adam refused, and so God only tried to destroy Lilith, but found that he had created a being too powerful for him to do away with. So, he removed one of Adam's ribs and created Eve, hoping to make a more perfect human that could be Adam's bride. This time, though, Adam became curious, and ate the fruit, offering it to Eve as well, who accepted it. For these crimes, Adam and Eve were thrown from the Garden of Eden, and Eve left Adam, and died eventually, alone and weak, but Adam and Lilith, who still loved each other very much, had children, and began to populate the earth as God had wanted. And then, their children had children, and then their children's children had children and so on, which led to Noah, who was an ally of Adam and Lilith, although he did so secretly, keeping the secret even from God. Then, God said that the world had fallen into wickedness, and that he would flood the world, and so, Noah and his wife saved two of every animal, and built an ark, and after the flood, Adam, Lilith, Noah, and his wife were the only ones to survive. After that, Noah swore eternal service to Adam, and promised that in every generation, twelve members of his family would awaken to his own 'forbidden' knowledge, and serve Adam unquestioningly, which was the start of the Clan of Noah. So you see, for 7,000 years, God has battled against Adam. Lilith eventually was killed but eventually, the Earl knew that Lilith's memories would be revived in another woman, and that whoever was Adam at the time would take her for his bride. Somehow, don't ask me how, Lilith's memories awoke inside me, and now, I am Adam's bride. Allen, who defeated and killed the Earl, gained the ability to awake to Adam's memories the moment that the Earl breathed his last, and by some trick of fate, I was chosen to be Lilith. Do you see? Your love for him is misplaced. You and he were never meant to be together. You were doomed to have your love be unrequited from the start."

Then, Road stopped talking and noticed that Lenalee was crying. Road didn't hate Lenalee. The fact that they were opponents didn't mean that Road had a personal vendetta against Lenalee. She was a good person, and she fought for what she believed in.

"NO! I don't believe you! Allen couldn't awaken to the Earl's memories! He's an exorcist!"

"And why do you think the Innocence chose him! It chose him because God and the Earl were fighting a battle inside of him. He was always on a twofold road. On one road was the path of a Noah, and on the other was that of an Exorcist. It's just chance that the Noah won out. And now, I really must ask you to leave. Tell your exorcist friends that we will not destroy all of them, should they surrender peacefully and hand over all of their Innocence, including all of the Innocence stored in Hevlaska. If you do not surrender, we will be forced to invade HQ and destroy it utterly."

"We will never surrender! So long as there is even one person left alive who is willing to fight, we will never give up!" Lenalee shouted fiercely. Road sighed and stroked Lenalee's cheek, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"I was afraid you'd say that, dear. Unfortunately, now I have to say that your doom has been sealed. Of course, you do realize that we could have captured you and Klaud Nyne at any time and left you to rot in our basement. Allen temporarily powered down our barriers so that you could come here, but once we put them back up, they'll be impenetrable by all but the most powerful of magic, and I don't think that good ol' Cross will be in action any time soon."

"That's where you're wrong! He tricked you. He still has Judgment. You only thought that you destroyed it."

"And right now, it looks like Allen is about to destroy General Nyne's Innocence. I never liked monkeys, anyhow…"

Lenalee suddenly turned around and jumped into action, leaping into the air, flipping and kicking Allen hard in the face, sending him flying across the room and into the refrigerator, crumpling it like tin foil. Lenalee then grabbed Klaud Nyne and her Innocence and began to run. Road started to go after them, but Allen stopped her.

"Don't worry, Road. This isn't the last that we'll see of them. I didn't expect to defeat Lenalee. She's too powerful, now. But I'm a little bit surprised that Klaud Nyne was so powerful. However, I doubt that she'll be fighting anytime soon. She does look rather worse for the wear."

"S-so… You mean you didn't intend to kill them from the beginning, Allen? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was merely due to time. I didn't know when they'd be coming, and I only felt their presence a minute or so beforehand. Besides, just because I have a difference of opinion doesn't mean that I hate the exorcists. Winters Sokaro may have been a murderer, but Klaud Nyne and Lenalee are good people with a different philosophy. If I can win this war without killing them, then I will."

"You're very different from the Earl, Allen. You haven't lost your gentle nature. I'm really glad of that…" Road said, kissing Allen lovingly on the lips and embracing him.

"Did you think that I would become as cruel and capricious as the Earl when I took up his mantle? I may hate God just like the Earl, but I still don't agree with the Earl's methods. He was cruel and heartless, and he was bent on the destruction of the world. All I want is to destroy God. And to do that… We need more vampires. First, let us call together the Noah Family once more."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Hello. I never thought that I'd actually be happy to see you people. I always kind of assumed that the next time I saw you, I would have to attempt to assassinate you. Nonetheless, here we are, gathered together as a family. Unfortunately, we are not yet complete, as I haven't the slightest idea how the Earl used to find newly awakened Noah. If one of you would please tell me, I would be most grateful."

"Oh, well, the Earl said that he felt my presence when I awoke…" Lulubell said quietly, blushing slightly. She had always been particularly fond of the Earl, never having motives of her own. Rather, the Earl's motives were her motives, and thus, the Earl's enemies were her enemies.

"Okay, so…"

"You're wondering when the next Noahs for the memories that are missing will likely awaken. As for that, I would say that usually no more than a year and a half goes by between Noahs. Although the Fourteenth's memories took thirty years, so it's rather hard to say…" Wisely said with a mysterious smile. Allen looked back at him with a raised eyebrow. It was really annoying to have his mind read.

"I don't blame you for not liking the Akuma, Lord Walker. They are rather pitiful, and for one such as yourself with the Demon Sensing Eye, their countenance must be horrifying to behold. Thus, creating an army of vampires seems a rather apt solution…"

"Does he do this to everyone?" Allen asked irately. He almost laughed, though, when all the Noahs besides Wisely nodded in similar irritation. They had all experienced firsthand the annoyance of having their thoughts spoken back to them and commented upon before they even asked a question or said anything. Undoubtedly, they were sure, they would eventually get used to Wisely. But in the meantime, it was rather annoying to have someone reading their thoughts.

"I understand that it's irritating to be reminded of how transparent one's own thoughts are, but it's only natural for me to use my powers just as all of you do. Perhaps all of you should develop the ability to mask your th… CRACK!"

Suddenly, the wall that was just millimeters to the left of Wisely's head exploded and a billowing cloud of quietly crackling smoke hissed out from it. Allen smiled brightly at Wisely and leaned in toward him.

"Wisely, I feel that I speak for the entire family when I say that it would be greatly appreciated if you not use your powers when you have no business doing so…"

For a moment, Wisely sat stone still, eyes wide as though he was afraid that Allen would shoot another energy ball at him, but then he took a deep breath and relaxed slightly, his eyes still betraying nervousness.

"Now, what were we talking about?" Allen asked as though nothing had transpired in the moments since his thoughts were interrupted by Wisely. The rest of the Noah Family, including Road, stared at him in shock. The Earl wouldn't likely have done that. Of course, Allen and the Earl had very different personalities. They were the difference between night and day. In general, Allen was very good natured, and polite, but he had a more sadistic side, most likely left over from when he was forced to pay Cross's debts for him whenever Cross would run out on his bills, whether they be for alcohol, food, women, or whatnot. Cross was a merciless and unkind master who demanded far too much of Allen, and as a result, Allen developed a split personality that showed itself whenever he felt he was being taken advantage of. Whether this was Wisely's intention or not, Road wasn't sure, but she did feel fairly certain that Allen wouldn't hold a grudge. He just wasn't that kind of person.

"Ah, yes. I feel that it would be more to our benefit and, more accurately I suppose, to _my_ benefit, if we did not use Akuma this time around. I see the looks on your faces, and I understand your surprise. However, I do not intend the Noah Family to be without minions to serve us. And so, it is my wish to turn all of you into vampires like me, and then to have you in turn create vampires from ordinary humans who express the desire to become vampires. Just like the Millennium Earl made contracts with humans to create Akuma, we will now make deals with humans to turn them into vampires, the benefit for us being that we gain minions in the process. Of course, I won't force any of you to become vampires against your will. However, it will certainly be more expedient to create an army of vampires with six of us working to do so than it would be if only I did it."

"Um, tell me, Lord Walker…" Cyril said with a lascivious and mischievous grin. "Are vampires as irresistibly sexy as the legends say?"

Upon getting annoyed looks from the rest of the family, Cyril shrugged, but Allen merely smiled politely and answered his question.

"Well, Cyril, I really wouldn't know. Given that the first person I've truly loved is Road, and that I've never had the need to seduce anyone as a vampire, I couldn't say for sure. I suppose you would just have to try your luck. Any other questions?"

"Do vampires really have to sleep in coffins?" Lulubell asked, shuddering as though she dreaded the thought of being in such an enclosed space.

"No. That's merely a legend. Vampires can sleep in beds just as humans do. Well, if that's all, then I suppose I've told you all you need to know for now. I'm rather tired, so I suppose I'll go to sleep."

"But… It's midnight…" Lulubell said quietly, lifting her head to look piercingly at Allen.

"I know. I usually go to bed much sooner than this."

"But vampires can't go out during the daytime."

"Oh, of course. Interestingly, the energy that gives a vampire its powers is dark energy, just like what gives us Noah our powers. Shortly after I became a vampire, I also awoke to the memories of Adam, and thereafter, I could go out during the daytime. I theorized that this is because my Noah powers accelerated the advancement of my vampire powers. I imagine that it will be the same for you."

"General Lee! General Nyne! Report!" Leverier barked at the two female generals. Lenalee stepped forward first. She couldn't stand Leverier. Back when Allen was good, even if he was evil, now, Leverier caused Allen no end of trouble, and he was just a horrible person. Apparently, Leverier didn't think of himself as a bad person, though, even though it was he who made Lenalee's younger life miserable, and drove her to the brink of insanity. All of the members of the Order hated Leverier, but Leverier didn't seem to care. All he ever seemed to care about was having power over everyone, and with Allen having betrayed the Order, Lenalee was sure that his power would only increase, as he would soon be interrogating everyone that had once been close to Allen to make sure that they weren't going to betray the Order as well. That meant that everyone that Lenalee considered a friend was in danger of being deemed a heretic by the Vatican. Lenalee was beginning to remember once again why she hated the Order so much, and why she even hated God. It had been neither God nor the Order who had saved her when she was on the edge of insanity, ready to kill herself. It had been her brother, who had sacrificed his own freedom for her happiness.

It had been her friends; Kanda, Lavi, Miranda, Krory, Allen, Timothy and all the others who gave her a reason to live and fight. And one by one, Leverier seemed to be taking all that away from her. Suddenly, she felt a blind rage building up in her chest, expanding and creating an unbearable pressure in her entire body that caused her to want to kill Leverier. He was a horrible, wicked man, and deserved to die. No, she couldn't think like that. That was what turned good people into criminals… It was what turned Allen to evil.

"Allen Walker, turned vampire, turned against the Order, and has awoken to the memories of Adam, otherwise known as the Millennium Earl, inspector. His vampire powers mesh well with his Noah powers, thereby creating a being even more powerful than Allen, or the Millennium Earl ever was. The Noah of Dreams, also known as Road Kamelot, having been in an intimate relationship with Allen, has awoken to the memories of Lilith, whom she described as being Adam's first bride who was 'destroyed' by God after she was deemed to evil to live. Now both she and Allen have become far too powerful for any one exorcist to handle. Allen Walker's new motives are as of yet unknown." Lenalee said respectfully, bowing to Leverier in a show of deference, even though she truly hated him more than she could possibly express. Leverier smirked, and then looked at Klaud Nyne, who stepped forward and also bowed.

"Having fought the rogue exorcist, Allen Walker, I know that he has removed his Crowned Clown, and destroyed it, and thereafter, regrown a new arm, probably with vampiric regenerative ability. He has grown in his vampiric powers very quickly, and is more powerful now than he has ever been. I didn't fight him to a standstill. He wasn't even using half his full strength on me. I feel safe in assuming that he considered me beneath his concern, and therefore, since he had no personal vendetta against me, he allowed Lenalee and I to leave with our Innocence intact."

"Thank you. You are dismissed." He said, waving his hand for the two to leave. Klaud Nyne sighed and walked off, looking back at Lenalee, who was still trying to suppress her rage at Leverier. Eventually, she managed to do so, and stalked out without so much as a backward glance at the inspector.

When she got outside, she saw Lavi waiting for her. He looked at her seriously and then fell into step with her, trying to keep up with her. Lenalee was walking rather fast, looking as though she might cry, but at the same time, that she was trying to hold it back with all her might for fear that everyone would think her to be weak. Lavi knew, of course that she was anything but weak. He hated seeing her like this, seeing her so unhappy. He knew that she had loved Allen, and he found that although Allen had been his best friend, that he resented Allen for the bond that he seemed to have taken for granted and destroyed. Lavi would have given anything to have such a bond with Lenalee. He had been planning to tell Lenalee how he felt about her, but, seeing her in such an unhappy mood made him think twice about doing so. He didn't want to dredge up any bad feelings for her. Nonetheless, every time he looked at her, he started feeling lightheaded. It had been the hardest thing in the world when he had left the Order after the first war. His mentor, Bookman had warned him never to become attached to others, to never grow too fond of the exorcists. They weren't, after all, exorcists. They were of the Bookman Clan. They lived in obscurity, always in the shadows, recording the history that would otherwise be lost. The history of secret wars, and of the deaths of obscure, yet important people.

After all, that was all that history comprised. Death and war. It was a world of hatred, death and bloodshed. Love and peace were fleeting and superficial. Once, Lavi had begun to accept that. He had even begun to embrace it. But then he came to the Order, and met all the people that he now counted among his friends. Allen, Lenalee, even Kanda. People like Miranda and Krory, and Timothy. Komui, with all his eccentricities, and Reever and the rest of the R&D department. He cared deeply for all of them. Of course, he deeply hated Allen for betraying the Order as he did, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to say that he wanted to kill Allen. He wasn't sure if he would be able to when the time came.

After a moment, Lavi sighed and began to walk away, when he felt a delicate hand on his. He turned around and saw Lenalee looking at him miserably, tears still sparkling in her eyes.

"D-do you think you could stay with me for a little while?" Lenalee asked nervously, biting her fingernails, a habit which she had never displayed before. If anyone was for fingernail biting, it was Miranda, who was the biggest nervous wreck that Lavi had ever met. He would laugh about it if she weren't so melancholy as well.

"I-I know it's unreasonable to ask you to waste your time on me, but… I-I'm not sure what will happen if I'm alone."

"What? What do you mean?" Lavi asked, shocked at Lenalee's statement.

"N-nothing! Never mind! P-please don't worry about me!" Lenalee cried, shoving Lavi away and running off, sobbing. Lavi instantly stood there for a moment, paralyzed with shock. He couldn't believe what was happening. Lenalee was acting strange. She was usually so cheerful and steady, but lately, she had been moody, and even depressed. He looked around and then ran after Lenalee, hoping to catch up to her. He knew that she was extremely agile, even more so because of her Innocence. He couldn't lose her, though. He was sure that without her, his life wouldn't mean anything anymore. All those facts and recorded entries in his mind would be so much garbage if she wasn't around. Perhaps he needed to look into a change of occupation.

Lenalee sat in her room, staring into her mirror, glaring at her reflection. How she hated it. How she hated everything about herself. How could she ever have called herself Allen's friend if she couldn't even save him from turning evil? If she couldn't even save him from himself. Now, she knew that hatred bound Allen too tightly in its grip, and it would never let him go until he died. It was all her fault. She deserved to be punished… Oh, how she deserved to suffer for what she had done, for what she had inflicted upon the world. But alas, nobody in the world would ever punish a valued exorcist. They were God's chosen warriors, and only God had power over them.

But she could punish herself… She had to punish herself. She looked at the straightedge that her brother kept. It was a memento of their father. The razor was made of solid silver with a diamond handle. She looked at her face once more in the blade, and then brought it down to her wrist, biting down on her tongue as she slid the blade slowly and shakily across it, all the while, desperate to shriek in agony as the blade did its unthinkable work.

"GGGGRRRRGGGGHHH!" She gasped as she dug the blade in deeper and dragged it across again before moving on to the other wrist. She was going to die like that, alone in her locked chamber, just as she deserved to do. But then, just as she was about to faint from pain and blood loss, the door crumpled and slammed into her back wall, leaving a huge dent, and Lavi rushed in, grabbing her before she hit the floor.

"No! Lenalee-chan! You can't die on me! You can't! I won't allow it!" Lavi yelled, shredding his jacket sleeves to make bandages for Lenalee's wrists, which looked awful. He bound them as tightly as he could, and then dragged her up onto his back and ran out the door, leaving his hammer in the room

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Lavi yelled, shoving Kanda violently as he ran past. Despite being well trained in martial arts and in swordsmanship, Kanda fell to the ground. He looked up furiously at Lavi, but then saw Lenalee on his back and sighed, resolving not to kill him this time. He knew full well about Lavi's feelings for Lenalee, and although he thought him foolish for becoming romantically attached to someone that he could have to leave at any moment, he understood the feeling, having had those same feelings for Lenalee at one time. For whatever reason, it seemed like Lenalee attracted men like honey attracted flies. Almost half the Order either had a crush/stalker-like obsession/sister complex for Lenalee. Kanda had meditated his feelings away long ago… Hadn't he? But nonetheless, she had at one time had that same effect on him, and that disturbed him. Mostly it disturbed him because he couldn't think of any logical explanation for it, but it was partially because he had resolved never to become attached to anyone, and yet, Lenalee had led him to grow connected to everyone in the Order, depending on them to help him when he needed it, even though he was determined not to need help from anyone. Sometimes, though, even he felt lonely, like he wished that someone would try to console him. It had always been Lenalee who had been his friend. Even if he refused to show his good side to anyone but his closest friends, he didn't really have any friends that he considered that close.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Okay, now, remember, everyone, it's going to feel a little bit strange at first when I first bite into your necks, but after that, it should feel perfectly normal.

All of the Noahs looked at him, a sweatdrop forming on their heads. First, Allen went over to Road, and looked her in her eyes. She was so beautiful, but she seemed to be getting more so every day. He didn't fully understand it, but understanding wasn't a requisite of love, so whatever. He pulled her collar down and bit into her neck. Road gasped as Allen drank freely from her, gulping down her blood as it poured into his mouth. Finally, he stopped and took out a knife, cutting his wrist open, holding it up to Road's mouth for her to drink, which she accepted immediately, feeling a surge of ecstasy coursing through her veins. It was like she was on fire, but it felt so good. Finally, he yanked his wrist away, and set her down on the floor, knowing that soon, she would begin to go into convulsions. She lay there at his feet for a moment, groaning, but then, she twitched, and her body began to contort into unnatural shapes that made her look as though her bones had turned to liquid, and she spasmed on the floor, jerking and jumping madly as Allen moved on to Tyki Mikk.

"Road made it quite clear that she did want to be a vampire, but you were never so resolute in your answer. Are you sure that you want me to do this?" Allen asked. Tyki shrugged.

"I never claim to be sure of anything, except that I enjoy a good fight. Beyond that, life and death are a mystery to me. I can't predict the outcome of my becoming a vampire, but I have a feeling that it will be fun, so suck away."

Allen nodded and Tyki bent his head tot the side, letting Allen pierce his Carotid with his razor sharp fangs. Tyki twitched as his fangs entered, but then relaxed as Allen's vampiric saliva entered his blood, causing the tension to drain from his body. When Allen was done, he cut his wrist once more, it already having healed after he did it for Road, and held it up for a badly weakened Tyki to drink. And drink he did. Tyki was physically much stronger than Road, as his Noah battle style was physical melee battle, whereas Road's style was to trap the person in her dream world, where they would find out the hard way that everything that happened there was real. It took a little bit more for Allen to pull his wrist out of Tyki's grasp, but he finally did so, and then moved on to the others, doing Lulubell, then Jasdevi, then Cyril, then Wisely, whom he was loath to turn into a vampire, but felt that he had no choice, having given the option to all of the others. He then summoned six beds and put them all in their beds to wait until they awakened. Until then, there was not much that he could do but wait.

Lenalee had been asleep in the hospital wing for two days, and she wasn't showing any signs of improvement. The nurse said that it wasn't that she couldn't heal physically. It was more the emotional scar that had been left by Allen's betrayal. Naturally, Komui had been in several times, ranting about how he was going to kill Allen for harming his sweet, innocent Lenalee. He had been promptly kicked out, though. Leverier also tried to come in several times to see if she was awake for questioning. So the nurse had posted guards outside the door who were not to let Leverier in for any reason. Miranda was convinced that it was her fault, and Krory had become even more dejected and melancholy than usual. Lavi was being unusually quiet, and Kanda was being unusually sociable and talkative. Timothy was the same as always. The generals were keeping busy making up for Lenalee's work. Although none of them minded, the work still was piling up, and Cross was having a harder and harder time finding excuses to drink and entertain women.

Cross sighed, looking across the room at Klaud Nyne. She was incredibly beautiful, but she had always seemed to hate him. She said that she hated useless men to him all the time, which implied none too subtly that she considered him to be useless. And perhaps he was useless. What did he ever really do, after all, besides shirk his duties, drink and eat, and leave other people to pay his bills, although it had been fun to do that to those Noahs that one time. Just as he was thinking this, he realized that he had been done with that particular bit of work for over two minutes and was standing there in the middle of the room in a daze. Noticing that Klaud Nyne had still had a large pile of work to accomplish, he went over and picked up a box without a word. Ironically, the one time that he actually had good intentions, he only ended up annoying her.

"Put that back now!" she snapped at him. I had those all arranged in an order that I could work with! It's a wonder these scientists get anything done at all with the mess that HQ is in!"

"Can I help at all?" Cross asked sincerely. Apparently, Klaud Nyne didn't trust him as far as she could throw him, because she looked up at him suspiciously and raised an eyebrow, laughing rather unkindly.

"You? Help? I wouldn't ask for your help if you were the last human alive! Besides, why do you want to help when there's nothing in it for you?"

"Oh, there's something in it for me, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you, hahaha!" he said, putting on a façade of his usual behavior.

"Cross, I've known you for a long time. Long enough to know that with you, anything is possible. There's very little that I would put past you, the one exception being joining the Noah Family. Even you aren't _that_ low."

"That stings, Klaud. You act like I'm evil incarnate."

"Just spit it out! What do you want! With Lenalee out of the picture, we're all very busy!"

"Never mind. Is there anything I can do that would be helpful?"

"Yeah. Stay out of our way. Just go get drunk, or something like I know you want to do anyhow."

Light began to play on Lenalee's eyelashes, flickering in and out of focus in her eyes. She squinted, closing her eyes tightly to keep it out, but it wasn't working. For some reason, the light seemed brighter, and the noises that were around her were louder than they should have been. She opened her eyes and sat up, looking around for a moment. First, she noticed that Lavi was sitting next to her bed in a bloodstained jacket. Perhaps he had just gotten back from a mission. Had she been on a mission? Everything was a blur to her. She couldn't remember anything after she got back to the Order, except for small flashes of memory. Even these flashes, though, were vague. Rough voices in her head, and they were all talking at once. Lavi, Leverier, Klaud Nyne, Komui, Kanda, Cross, Reever, Miranda, Krory, and countless other voices that she couldn't quite place. She couldn't see their faces while they were talking. Merely blurred, general images that flickered through her mind once in a while, but as soon as they came in, they were gone again, whisked away by the electrical currents of her brain.

But suddenly, the voices were getting louder… and louder, and louder. Soon, they were screaming at her inside her head. They were screaming that it was her fault. That she was to blame. She couldn't remember what she had done, though. What was her fault? For what was she to blame? Then, a face that was clearer than all the others popped into her mind, and a voice that sounded friendly and kind on the surface, but hid underneath it a malice and hatred that could not be described with any human words. A white haired boy with a long scar on his left eye in the shape of a pentacle. He was very handsome, and she had the feeling that she loved him, but couldn't understand why. Something was off about him, something that terrified her, something that made him… Inhuman… A monster. What was his name?

Then, he began to talk, his smooth voice booming louder than all the others, causing her to cringe. He told her that she had to be made to pay for what she had done. That she was the monster… After a few moments of listening to this, Lenalee's arm flung outward and shattered a vase that had been placed next to her bed, and she started screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to drown out his voice. Nothing she did worked though. No matter how hard she hit herself on the head, trying to silence this horrible person, he just wouldn't go away.

She could feel people all around her, now, trying to restrain her, but failing to do so. Suddenly, as if against her own will, something inside her turned on, and everyone that had been trying to stop her was flung away from her and smashed into beds, walls and tables. Lavi stood up and took a deep breath. He didn't have his Innocence on him, and even if he did, he didn't think that he could use it on her. She shrieked madly at the sky as she slowly advanced toward the desk, noticing a scalpel there. She grabbed it and cut her arm, making more and more slashes all over her arms. Almost as suddenly as she had awoken, though, she stopped, and blinked a few times, before shaking her head and looking around at everyone, all of whom were staring at her like she had two heads.

"W-why are you all looking at me? Did something happen?" She asked, truly confused. Something was definitely wrong, but she couldn't remember what, exactly. She remembered getting out of the meeting, feeling extremely harassed by Leverier, but then, everything went blank, and she woke up just a few seconds ago with everyone staring at her like she was a freak in a cage. She didn't like it. She felt herself squirming under their gazes, trying to remove herself from their vision. It was like they could see right through her, to whatever ugly, dark secrets she was hiding. At the moment, even she wasn't sure anymore. If she had one memory blank, then how many others did she have? How many times had she blanked out, and what did she do during that time? Would anyone be able to tell her? Did anyone know?

"Guys! Stop staring at me!" She shrieked, squeezing her eyes shut and throwing her arms over her head as if to protect herself.

"Lenalee… Do you know what day it is?" the nurse asked gently, standing up, and pushing Lavi out of the chair next to her bed. She sat down and put a hand on Lenalee's shoulder, trying to comfort her.

"Well… I-I think it's Wednesday the 6th… I must have fainted after the meeting, because that's the last thing I did," Lenalee said, sounding unsure of herself, her voice taking on an airy, almost unreal tone to it.

"Lenalee… It's Monday the 11th. You've been unconscious for a week." The nurse deliberately left out the part about her waking up and having another breakdown.

"W-what are all these cuts on my arms! Why are my wrists bandaged and my arms cut and bloody! D-did I get into a fight! What about the Dark Boots! Are they still…"

"You didn't get into a fight. Your Dark Boots are still there, and fully functional, although I sometimes wish that they weren't. Lenalee… Try to remember everything that came up to the moment right before you blacked out. Go through it out loud."

"Well, I was called to a meeting by Leverier, who was interrogating General Nyne and I on our visit to Allen's house. I remember him talking about Allen being a monster, and I think I argued against that, even though I was having doubts myself. The way that Allen acted. All that hatred that he sh-sh-showed t-toward me and General Nyne! I-it was like we were never friends in the first place. I-I could see him n-not caring about General Nyne. Sh-she's a wonderful and amazing woman, b-but she doesn't really kn-know Allen at all, but he said that he was letting us leave only because I used to be his friend. Th-that means that had we been anyone else, he would have killed us. Then, I left the meeting, and I was with Lavi, and then something happened that made me run away. Then, I woke up in this bed."

"Lenalee, you went back to your room and tried to kill yourself. You cut your wrists open. Lavi brought you here and we stopped the bleeding, but something much more serious than any wound you could ever sustain is going on, and we need to find out what."

Lenalee was about to speak, but Lavi spoke before she could say anything.

"Inspector Leverier only knows that there was an incident. He doesn't know any details yet, although he's been using all his power to try and find out." Lavi said, with poorly hidden contempt for the inspector.

"Why are my arms cut up? Did I cut myself there, too?"

Before Lavi could answer her, there was a loud bang outside, and the harsh sounds of Leverier's voice resounded through the halls. It sounded like he had engaged in a fistfight, though, which was very unlike Leverier.

"You _will_ step aside and allow me to pass, Exorcist!" Leverier barked in his usual arrogant and demanding tone.

"I will do no such thing, inspector. General Lee is resting, and she's a million times more valuable than scum like you. Every day, she's out there, putting her life on the line, fighting the Noah, doing work around the order, and she always does it with a smile on her face. I despise that smile!" Kanda said furiously, causing Lenalee to gasp, and tears to flood her eyes.

"I despise that smile because underneath it it's all too obvious that she's suffering because of ungrateful, power mad, arrogant, bossy, loud, and pretentious pieces of shit like you who think that because his family gives a lot of money to the Order, that they have the right to order everyone else around. We exorcists are not your personal army that you can move around like Chess pieces! We don't answer to you, and we don't owe you anything! Tell me something, inspector! Can you regenerate!"

"N-no! But…"

"Keep that in mind next time you come around here! Because if you act then like you're acting now, you're head will be rolling on the floor before you can say 'exorcist'!" Kanda yelled outside. Apparently, he was brandishing Mugen as well, because Lenalee could hear people telling him to put his sword away. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door opened, and Kanda stormed in, looking over at Lenalee and immediately looking away.

"D-did you hear any of that?"

"Y-yes. B-but… I…"

"You what? Spit it out!" Kanda snapped, but then stopped himself. "S-sorry."

"Why did you do all that?"

"I hate him as much as anyone, and he needs to be taken down a notch… Don't think too much about it. Just get some more rest. You look like shit!"

With that, Kanda turned around and slammed the door behind him, stalking off down the corridors of HQ, leaving a very confused group behind him.

All the Noahs had awoken, and now, they were beginning to adjust to their powers. Road was, in Allen's opinion, the quickest to adapt. He couldn't deny that she was incredibly bright. The newfound strength and dexterity that she wielded so gracefully were major weapons in her arsenal, and she had already begun to master flashing, and was able to use a combination of her supernatural speed and her ability to alter reality to create illusions designed to trick the mind of gullible or inattentive humans. Some of the Noahs had already gone out into the world and begun to recruit. However, for Road, this was not the case. She was staying behind with Allen. There were some things that she wanted to… catch up on with him, and they caught up at least ten times over the course of three days. Still, though, Road was afraid, as before that none of it was real. Allen had become the Earl, and she, the Earl's bride. Life, or unlife, as it were, could not get any better. But it all seemed like a dream, like something that she might wake up from to find that none of it had happened that that she was still as lonely and miserable as she had always been.

The problem was that she couldn't work up the courage to talk to Allen about it. It was like she was afraid that he would laugh at her. But now, she was walking up to him quite plainly, she would sit down with him, and talk to him.

"Allen?" Road said nervously. Allen looked at her and smiled politely, standing up. She pushed him back into his seat, though, and sat on his lap, draping her arms around his shoulders and resting her chin in the crook of his neck.

"Allen, I'm scared." She said, before she could pretend that she had just come over to be with him and to have hot passionate sex again, although it would be great if they could do that after their heart to heart… so to speak.

"What's wrong, Road? Did something happen?"

"I guess you could say that. You could say that the greatest thing in the world happened to me, and after that, everything only continued to get better and better, and finally, when I thought that I couldn't possibly be any happier, I found out that you and I were destined to be together."

"I don't get it. How does that scare you? It sounds like you're really feeling great."

"I am. But at the same time, I'm terrified that it's all a lie. That all of this is a dream, or an illusion… or a near death experience, or some shit like that. I'm afraid that I'm going to wake up, and that you'll hate me again, and that once again, our only purpose in life will be to kill each other."

"Well, Road. I suppose that there isn't any way for me to convince you that this is real, that what is happening right now is real life. I can say that this is real, and give you five good reasons that it is. I could slap you and ask you if it hurts. I could kiss you and tell you not to worry about it. But knowing you, none of those things would assuage your fears. So, all that's left is for me to ask you what you want me to tell you so that you'll feel better."

"J-just answer one question…" Road said, tears flooding her deep blue eyes and spilling over, streaming down her porcelain cheeks. When she cried, her eyes sparkled, as though the light of the sun were reflecting off of a lake so clear and clean that you could drink right from it. When she smiled, her entire being glowed. Something about Road was so amazing that Allen couldn't help but wonder if Road's fears were more accurate than either of them thought.

"Of course."

"Do you love me?" Road asked plainly. Allen blinked for a moment, not sure if he had heard her correctly.

"Isn't it obvious, Road?" he asked, surprised that she could possibly be so insecure.

"No! I need to hear you say it! Even if this is a dream! Even if none of this is real, if you've told me even once that you love me, it will all be worth it!" She cried, grabbing Allen and hugging him tightly. Allen sighed and took Road's chin gently between his thumb and his forefinger and middle finger. He then brought her face up to his and kissed her gently on the lips.

"I love you, Road. And I'll never stop loving you. Even if the world comes to an end, or the wrath of God rains down on us."

"Allen!" Road cried, throwing her arms around him once more and sobbing into his shoulder.

A/N: I know, I know. It was a horribly mushy end to the chapter. But, I've always sort of wanted to write a love scene like this, and now, I can say as a writer that I have done so. Please don't think ill of me.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

It turned out that the Noahs had been right. Allen had had a dream about the next Noah who had awakened. It was the Talent of Noah who had just awoken in Russia, a rather cold place to be sure. Allen didn't know the last Talent of Noah very well, except to say that Lenalee killed him without mercy, or hesitation. Granted, the Talent had just grievously injured Miranda, who had been keeping everyone fit for battle, but nonetheless, it had been amazing to watch the two fight. It was fast paced, and relentless, offering no opportunity to blink.

It had been a very long time since Allen had operated the Ark, but now, it looked as though he would need it once more, as this person lived in Greece, in a city called Rhodes. Or at least, he assumed that they lived there, although it was certainly possible that the person was just passing through. In his dreams, Allen had learned very little of the new Noah, as they had yet to fully realize their Noah powers. The feelings that Allen got were weak, almost as if this person were consciously trying to suppress their powers. That was no good, though. He had to make sure that he or she decided to join the Noah Family, whatever it took.

"Well… Road and I are going on a road trip to Rhodes. I have discovered the location of the newest Noah, and we must find him or her before they elude us!" Allen said brightly. The rest of the Noahs looked at Allen with a mix of confusion and twitchery at his using of the word "road" three different ways in one sentence.

"I'm sure that you've all wanted to go to Greece, right! I mean, being immortal, you must have some desire to travel the world, right?"

"Well, I suppose so, but… This is very sudden. The Earl rarely ever told us that he had found a new Noah. He just left with Road, picked up the Noah, and we met them when they got back…" Tyki said, raising an eyebrow. Allen shrugged.

"Oh well. Anyone who wishes to come is welcome. Otherwise, stay in the area. I don't want any of you getting destroyed while I'm away. I don't doubt your abilities, but I'm suspicious of how quiet the Order has been. Either something has gone wrong internally, or they're biding their time, waiting for us to make the first move."

"I'll come. I've heard that Greek women are exotically beautiful," Cyril said with a grin. Allen sweatdropped and looked back at him.

"Fine, whatever. Just don't get arrested."

"My head! My head is killing me!" a young girl shrieked in agony and rage as vast and violent images of Noah's past filled her mind, and the stigmata appeared on her forehead. She had been on tour around the world as a violinist. Naturally, she had dropped the violin, and it broke on the stage, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. Her eyes started flickering between their usual green color, and golden yellow, and her hair was starting to slowly turn black, her skin taking on a grayish tinge to it. Her manager and her parents rushed out onto the stage to try to soothe her, but she jerked her head back and shrieked at them, and a huge wave of Dark Energy blasted them off their feet, and into the walls on either side of the stage. The manager was immediately knocked unconscious, whereas her parents were merely dazed.

The audience stared up at her, aghast at what was happening. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Her body was undergoing drastic cosmetic changes all at once. Little were they aware, of course, that the cosmetic changes were merely representative of the much more horrifying changes that were going on inside. Finally, though, she stood up and brushed off her dress, looking down at the violin that lay smashed at her feet and sighing. She immediately conjured a new violin out of Dark Energy, and spoke into the microphone clipped to her collar in a hauntingly beautiful voice.

"This is a piece I made myself. I called it Ode to Noah."

At first, when she began to play, nothing happened, but then, the younger members of the audience began to cover their ears, groaning in pain as they began to bleed out their ears. As her song picked up its tempo, more and more people began to notice the horrifyingly painful ringing in their ears that seemed to be resonating all throughout their skulls. Naturally, she was immune to this effect, but her parents and her manager weren't. They, too began to bleed out their ears. Then, the groans turned to screams as the sounds of her violin and the pain of the audience resounded throughout the theater. Inside everyone's bodies, their organs were vibrating and being shook at such a violent rate that they began to rupture, and even the people's brains were taking punishment, as they were slowly being turned to mush right inside the audiences heads. Soon, the bleeding became pronounced, and it wasn't merely out their ears that the blood came, but their eyes, and indeed, every pore of their bodies. Slowly, clothes and seats were stained crimson as her concerto reached crescendo, and the shrieks of agony rose to meet every note she played. Then, as her deadly music began to die down, so did the screams, until they became little more than choked sobs, and finally… silence.

After her performance, Artemis looked around in grim satisfaction and giggled, going back into human form, her hair returning to its former sandy blonde color, and her eyes becoming green once more. Brushing a wavy strand of hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear, she dissolved the violin in midair and jumped off the stage, high as it was, and slowly descended to the ground, as if borne in the air on a glider.

She walked over to one of the concert goers, noting that he was still alive. It was a boy that she had known from her hometown, who had developed something of a crush on her. She sighed and clicked her tongue, reaching out and stroking his face, taking his chin in her fingers and kissing him on the cheek before drawing back and smiling sadly.

"I told you nothing but pain would come of your feelings for me. I'm not really sure if I should be happy or sad to see you die. Elation fills every cell of my body at the moment at the realization that I need never be used by my greedy parents and a sleazy manager again. I'm overjoyed to leave behind the humdrum life of idiotic fans, jealous glares and boring trips around the world. If I could change but one thing, though, it would be that we were able to be friends longer. I acted coldly toward you because I knew that as long as I was so obscenely talented and intelligent, my parents would never stop using me for their own stupid gain. But I really did wonder sometimes what it would be like to have a real friend. Goodbye, Elan. May we meet in the next life…" She said, a tear sliding down her cheek as she watched her beloved friend breathe his last gasping breath, and finally expire. She didn't give a shit about any of the other humans in that amphitheater. For all she cared, they could rot in Hell. But Elan, she cared about. He had been the only person to ever show concern for how she really felt about things, the only person to see past her accursed talent and want to get to know her. Perhaps life as a Noah would get easier as she whiled away the years, forever in the body of an 11 year old. For 11, she felt that she and Elan were surprisingly mature. It was only to be expected, though. She had been forced to hone her musical talent, and he, being nearly as intelligent as she was, though, ironically tone-deaf, had been privately tutored by the greatest minds in the world in everything from obscure languages to advanced physics. She sneered and began whistling as she left the building, watching all of the bodies, save for Elan's melt in pools of liquefied flesh, bone, and rapidly congealing blood.

As she exited the amphitheater, she ran smack into Allen, who looked down at her and smiled politely.

"Artemis Eliades, I presume?" Allen asked, bending down to look at her. She glared up at him and crossed her arms.

"And you are?"

"Allen Walker. I guess that you could say that I'm the new Millennium Earl."

For a moment, Artemis just stared, then burst out, laughing hysterically. For the next few minutes, it was all she could do not to fall on the ground in her nice dress. Not that she really cared about her dress, but it wasn't dignified to be rolling on the ground.

"Suuuuure you are. And I'm the Greek goddess of the hunt. If you're going to lie, you might want to make it a bit more convincing."

"He…" Road began irately. Allen stopped her, though, and laughed.

"I suppose that I should prove to you that I'm the real deal," he said, gathering electricity into his fist and flashing at Artemis, who just barely had time to jump back as Allen ran his fist right through the stone walls of the amphitheater.

"Good reflexes, Miss Eliades. Now, see if you can dodge this," Allen remarked, drawing threads of Dark Energy from his fingertips and flicking them at Artemis, catching her arms and legs and then drawing her in. As she came closer to going right through Allen's spearhand, though, she melted into shadow, and reappeared behind Allen, flicking him on the back of the head. Allen was ready, though, and as she touched him, a strong electrical current passed through her entire body, setting her tingling uncontrollably as even her hair stood on end. Allen, using that moment of confusion, then grabbed her by her wrists and pushed her up against the wall.

"Now do you believe that I'm the Earl, Miss Eliades?" Allen asked, dropping Artemis, who fell to the ground, shaking violently, tears of fear and shock forming in her eyes. Allen sighed. He hadn't meant to upset her. He merely intended to offer proof that he was who he said he was.

"Come on, now, Artemis. I'm sorry. Are you feeling alright?" Allen asked, hugging Artemis, who pushed him away from her, scrunching her face up in disgust.

"Ew! Get away from me, you perv!" She snapped, starting to storm off. Allen tried to stop her, though, by grabbing her wrist.

"Do you still not believe me when I say that I'm the Earl?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, I believe you. And I want you to believe that I don't care, anymore. You're a disgusting old pervert, and I hate you."

"Well, I suppose that I can't make you stay. Good luck in the world, Miss Eliades. I wouldn't suggest that you go that way, though. There's trouble up ahead.

"Whatever you say, Earl-sama…" Artemis said, waving dismissively. Road looked at Artemis as she left, her face betraying her rage.

"Don't worry about it, Road. She'll find out soon enough that she still needs us." Allen said with a content smile, looking over at Road and laughing at the shocked look on her face. Allen then grabbed Road's hand and started walking along a different road from Artemis.

"Hey, Yu… Lemme see that sensor!"

"No, you idiot. You'd just break it. And it's General Kanda to you."

"We've known each other for years!"

"And I still hate you… Besides, a large source of Dark Energy is approaching us, now. In fact, we should be right on top of it."

"Hey, little girl!" Lavi called to Artemis, who turned and glared at him.

"I'm not a little girl! I'm eleven! And you're an ignoramus!"

"Whatever. Have you seen anything strange lately?"

"Strange how? Strange like Bill Cosby strange, or strange like H.P. Lovecraft strange?"

"Who are they?" Lavi asked, scratching his head. Artemis sighed, and sneered at Lavi.

"Your idiocy truly astounds me and offends my superior intellect! You're cute, and you'd make a good uke, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you!"

"D-did you just say I'd make a good uke!"

"Yeah… Would you rather I say submissive?"

"O-okay, first off, how do you even _know_ such words, and second… I'm not gay!"

"Right. And I'm not female, or a genius…" Artemis said with a smirk. For a moment, Lavi didn't quite collect all of that, but then he groaned, and a vein twitched in his forehead. He was really starting to get annoyed with this girl. But everyone knew that you weren't allowed to hit girls… Especially eleven year old girls with large vocabularies and even larger brains.

"I'm done talking to you, dimwit! Now, you and Mr. Bushido are going to fight to the death and hopefully entertain me at least a little bit."

"What makes you think that I'd… Gaahh!" Lavi grunted, gripping his head, trying to fight Artemis's suggestive power. She had already figured out that the swordsman had a far stronger will than Lavi, and thus, had decided to force Lavi to attack. Her powers weren't perfect yet, as she was still awakening, so she had to be careful as to who she used them on. Even if she did use them carefully, she could theoretically cause permanent brain damage to those whose minds she tampered with. Without an instrument, though, to facilitate her suggestion, it was unlikely that any such thing would happen. Her powers would simply be too weak. She had direly needed the violin back in the amphitheater, given that the violin was her best instrument, and with it, she could play the widest variety of notes. Slowly, she smirked and conjured up a flute in her hands, her second best instrument, and now, her second best weapon, and began to play a melancholy tune, which caused Lavi to instantly snap to attention, and his eyes to glaze over with lack of focus. He then drew his hammer, causing Kanda to look suspiciously in his direction.

"Big Hammer Small Hammer; grow, grow, grow! Hi Ban: Goka Kaijin!" Lavi shouted, hitting the seal and slamming the hammer right down at Kanda, who just managed to dodge it as fire erupted from the hammer, and incinerated the ground below. Kanda cursed and circled around Lavi for a moment. He had never been forced to fight Lavi before. It wasn't so much that he minded killing Lavi. He just didn't want to do so if there was a better option. After all, Lavi was also an exorcist. In seconds, though, Kanda realized that if he attacked Artemis, chances were that her concentration would be broken, and he would be freed. So, Kanda went on the offensive, jumping over Lavi's hammer and diving at Artemis. At the last moment, though, as he brought his blade to bear, Lavi jumped in the way, and took the blade right in his back, gasping in agony as Mugen sliced right through his flesh.

"Sorry, Mr. Bushido. It isn't so easy. Mind control isn't my only ability, either. Physical pain; emotional anguish; the ability to force someone to recall any memory I desire. All of these and more are within my power."

As she said this, a violin formed in her hand and she brought it under her chin, slowly drawing the bow across the strings in a graceful, haunting sound. As she did this, Kanda looked around him as the world disappeared, fading to black, and an image of Alma Karma appeared before him, his body stitched up, and falling apart, as though his flesh was beginning to rot.

"Why did you kill me, Yu?" he asked, tears falling from his dark eyes.

"You know why! They made me kill you!"

"You could have refused. You could do anything. You were above reproach. And all because of that stupid Innocence! They favored you, and when they realized that I would never be able to accommodate the Innocence, they tossed me out, ordered you to slaughter me like a pig at dinner! I am now the fetus for the next generation of people like us. And for what? So that they can do to other people what they did to us? They tortured us! They killed us dozens of times, forced us to endure unimaginable tests all for the sake of 'God'! God doesn't love us anymore! If God truly loved us, he would deliver us from this wretched state of existence, and we would be free from pain and suffering, but no! He shovels more and more suffering upon us every day! Your death draws nearer and nearer as well! I can feel it, just as you can. You only have 8 petals left, don't you? 8 out of 13. You were killed seven times in the final war, and you kept getting back up, but not without a cost. Two of your petals wilted and died, and now, you're that much closer to death! Do you enjoy your pitiful existence as the Order's tool!"

"I'm not just a tool. Without you and I, the Order would have fallen long ago!"

Please! You think that because you're important, that you aren't expendable! When you die, they'll just create more little copies of you using your DNA!"

"I can't die! I still haven't found her!"

"You dumbass! _She doesn't exist_! She died ages ago! Don't you think you would have found her ages ago if she was alive!"

"I don't know! Shut up!"

"Then admit it! Admit that you're a torturer, and a murderer!"

"I ALREADY KNOW THAT I'M ALL THOSE THINGS!" Kanda yelled At Alma, standing and striking out with his sword, but missing. Strangely, tears began to sting at Kanda's eyes. He hadn't cried in years, nor had he any intention to ever do so again. Nonetheless, he was, and it was humiliating.

"Kanda…" Came a gentle female voice. It was Lenalee. For some reason, whenever Kanda needed to be calmed down, it was Lenalee who was there to do it. Kanda wasn't sure if it was coincidence, or destiny, or perhaps just God rubbing Kanda's face in the fact that no normal human would ever want him.

"Kanda. Listen to me! Fight it. None of this is real. You need to fight her influence, and break her spell."

"I-I know… Th-thank you…" Kanda said, struggling to be polite as he closed his eyes and focused, feeling the illusory world shatter around him, and his body plummet from the sky.

Then, he woke up. Artemis looked at Kanda in shock, but didn't have much time to marvel at how he had broken her control, because at that moment, he activated Sangenshiki, and used Bakuhakuzan, an attack powerful enough to cut right through a level 4 Akuma. Needless to say, it would most likely work on a newly awakened Noah. The attack hit dead on, and cut a gash in Artemis's dress, leaving a huge slash across her midsection. Kanda wasn't normally one for attacking little girls, but this was different. She was a Noah, and he didn't have Lavi, who had just passed out from exhaustion after being under her control. Her suggestive power had become utter domination when she started using the flute, and although his mind was subconsciously resisting the command to attack his comrade, the command was quite powerful, and therefore, it was doing serious damage to his psyche. Kanda's mental fortitude was stronger than Lavi's, but even so, he was dazed as well from the attack.

Just as Kanda was about to go in for another attack, Allen showed up and moved in front of the blade, grabbing it with his bare hand and flicking Kanda's head, sending him flying backwards and crushing a lamppost that was behind him. Kanda stood up and glared at Allen, who simply looked back indifferently at Kanda, and started to approach Lavi. He was, however, cut off by Kanda, who sliced the ground open right at Allen's feet, forbidding him from taking one more step.

"I dare you to take one more step toward him. Please, give me a reason to kill you."

"It wouldn't help to kill me. As long as the memories of Adam are still alive, the Earl cannot die. If you killed me as I killed the Earl, you would become Adam. Then, whoever killed you would become Adam next, and thus it would continue until the reincarnation chain was broken."

"I see. Then we have nothing more to discuss. You would be ill advised to send that piece of trash you call a Noah into battle until she's learned how to better use her powers."

"How dare you insult my family! How would you like it if I said that your mother was a whore, and your father was a fat, drunken, gambling addict?"

At this, Kanda merely snorted and hefted Lavi onto his shoulder, and ran off. As he did, Artemis fell to the ground, having lost a great deal of blood already. She was near death, which was, needless to say, a problem. The only way that they could fix the problem was to turn her into a vampire immediately.

"Artemis. I understand that you don't like me, but you must listen. You're dying. And unless we act now, you're doomed. Even with all the power in the world, your wound is fatal. However, I can save you, if you are willing to undergo the transformation to undeath."

"Y-you mean… Like vampires?"

"Exactly like vampires. It's up to you. I would be sad to let go of such a promising Noah, but I won't force you to do something that you don't want to do."

"Do it…"

With that, Allen bared Artemis's neck, and bit into it, draining her of almost all of her blood, until her skin had gone chalky white. Strangely, the streets were abandoned completely, which made this the perfect time to do it. Allen cut his own wrist, and held it up to Artemis's mouth. The girl drank deeply from his wrist until he pulled it away with relative ease, and she finally went limp. Fearing that he had started too late, Allen sighed, but then, her body went rigid, and she began to convulse violently. Allen pulled her in tightly, making sure that she didn't hurt herself. As she seized, her wound healed more rapidly than ever, and soon, there wasn't even a scar there. After a few long moments of jerking and thrashing, though, Artemis's body stilled, and she lay peacefully. Standing up, holding Artemis in his hands, he looked down fondly at her, almost as if she were his own daughter, although she was much too old, and he was much too young. He looked at Road, not needing to say a word for her to understand. She opened a gate before them, and they walked through it, heading back to the Ark in that manner.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Kanda sat in complete stillness, his legs crossed and his arms out to the sides. Although his eyes were closed, and his face displayed no disturbances, his mind was in turmoil. Having seen the new Noah in action, and knowing that not only would the Noah Family soon resurface, but that they would be more powerful than ever, he was worried. Not many things worried him, but this was one of them. Lavi was still unconscious in the hospital ward, and wasn't showing any sign of waking up soon. Lenalee was up and about, but still not feeling 100%. Even though she tried to hide it, his room was near hers, and he heard her crying at night when she thought that nobody was around. Even if nobody else knew, and even if Kanda wasn't going to tell anyone, he knew. And that was enough to make him feel guilty about doing nothing to help her. He didn't know what to do, though. He wasn't the helpful type.

After a moment, he noticed that there was a shadow next to him. He opened one of his eyes just a pinch and looked over, only to see Lenalee. Her face was red, and her eyes puffy. She had been crying again. He had no idea what she was doing with him of all people. If she was really so gloomy, why did she want to be with the most pessimistic person in the Order?

"Hi, K-Kanda…" She said, making a feeble attempt at a smile. Kanda opened both his eyes and turned to face Lenalee, staring hard at her.

"Shouldn't you be resting?"

"When I'm alone, I feel even more useless than I usually do. I mean… Look at me, I'm pathetic. I fall to pieces over the smallest things. And then, I get so upset that I start causing trouble for everyone else. I don't know if I can take it anymore! I need to get out of here!" She cried, covering her eyes. "I can't stand being here! Knowing that everyone resents me, that everyone around me knows just how weak I am!" She screamed, fresh tears flooding her eyes. She stopped abruptly, though, when Kanda pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Quiet, Lenalee! You aren't weak, or pathetic, and nobody resents you. You just aren't able to see how much we're all worried about you. You need to get some rest and try to stop blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault. I'm not usually one for reminiscences or long, meandering stories, but my encounter with that new Noah brought it up in my mind. I used to have a good friend named Alma Karma. He, like me, was a human who was infused with Akuma DNA to give us regenerative powers, and they did this so that hopefully, we would survive long enough for them to find a way to forcibly bond us with an Innocence. In this way, they wanted to manufacture exorcists. At first, we hated each other. He found me to be far too pessimistic, and I thought he was an obnoxious stalker. But we got over our differences and became best friends. Well, eventually, they managed to bond me with Mugen, but they weren't so lucky with him. However, they had discovered another use for him, but they needed him to be a corpse for it to work. So, they ordered us to fight to the death, knowing that I'd win. Naturally, I did win, and they got their corpse. That was how they made more of the Akuma/Human hybrids, by infusing his genes inside human infants. I would never have wished that fate on anyone. And for the longest time, I felt that it was my fault that these new children had to suffer as they did. But I learned to forgive myself, and then to realize that sometimes, things are just out of my control. As it was with me, you need to realize that Allen was destined to become evil long before he ever even met you. Hevlaska sensed the 14th in him, and knew that one of their souls would become dominant, but that the other soul would infect the main soul, thereby permanently changing whoever came out on top. Allen came out on top, but was tainted by the 14th. Then, he fell in love with Road, a Noah. It was a series of unfortunate events that none of us could have predicted or stopped, and you need to let Allen go. I know that you loved him and that you don't want to kill him. However, I assure you that he feels no such sentiment toward you, and would not hesitate to kill you if given the chance. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Kanda? Have you ever… loved someone?"

At this question, Kanda blushed heavily. He had never been asked such a question. Nobody had ever dared to approach him with such a question, even Lavi, who was known for taking ridiculous risks. Kanda almost felt bad having this kind of time alone with Lenalee. He knew full well How Lavi felt about Lenalee, and yet, he, Yu Kanda, was still in love with her as well. Love seemed a strange emotion for Kanda, who had always sealed himself off by telling himself that he hated everyone and everything except Soba noodles

"Love is a fickle and foolish emotion that people who are afraid to be alone feel so that they have an excuse to be weak…" Kanda said coldly, hoping that Lenalee wouldn't question him further. At first, she looked a bit put off, but then she spoke again, more seriously and more determined.

"You didn't answer my question, Kanda. Do you not trust me?" She asked, looking at him, her brow furrowed in concentration and worry.

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE! I NEVER ASKED TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THIS TO ME!" he yelled at her, causing her to lose her balance, falling backwards and hitting her head. "Every time I see you, you look at me with those big eyes of yours, and suddenly, I can't think anymore! It isn't fair! You have no right to do this to me!" He ranted before bolting upright and storming out in a sudden rage. How he hated Lenalee. He hated her because it was her fault that he fell in love with her.

For a moment, Lenalee was too stunned to move, or do anything, but then, she jumped up and ran after Kanda, cutting him off around a corner hall, nearly being trampled by him.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY! I know that you don't love me! So why do you force me to love you!"

"I'm not forcing you to do anything! And how do you know how someone else feels!" She said, gently embracing Kanda and standing up as straight as she could, kissing him.

"Lenalee… Stop. Don't do this. What about Allen? I thought you loved him."

"I did. But nobody can deny the monster that he's become. And anyway, I just feel at ease around you. It's not something that I can explain."

"Lenalee. I don't know how much longer I'm going to live. You're one of the few people that knows about my lotus flower. Well, when I was first created, it had 13 petals. Now, it only has 8. I can feel my regenerative power weakening. Time doesn't affect the flower, but the number of times that I die, and recover from catastrophic damage does. When they first made me, I could come back to life after I died in one minute flat. Now, it takes 7 minutes. I may not survive this war."

"Kanda, is that what you've been worried about? I love you whether you live for 1 more year or 100 more years. Come here…" she said softly… gently cupping his cheek and pulling him into a kiss, to which he surrendered himself. Only vaguely wondering what her brother would say if he found out about this, Lenalee closed her eyes and sighed in contentment as she kissed Kanda. It wasn't something that she ever expected herself to be doing, but, alas, here she was, in love with Yu Kanda, the most contrary, and pessimistic guy in the Order. Although, in all fairness, she had noticed that ever since the first war had begun to reach its climax after they got back from the Ark, that he had been becoming progressively less pessimistic. That was also about the time that Allen fell in love with Road. It seemed like a whole bunch of things all happened at once, and threw the Order into chaos. Allen was being investigated for allegations of treachery, being associated with the 14th, Allen was kidnapped by Road, and perhaps in a case of Stockholm Syndrome, perhaps out of some misplaced sense of sympathy, Allen fell in love with Road. After the war, Lavi and Bookman left the Order, only to come back when they discovered that Allen had become the new Earl. Things were happening at a dizzyingly fast pace, and it was throwing her off balance, making her sick to her stomach. Strangely, though, being with Kanda, with his cool and steady demeanor, made her feel better.

"General Kanda, General Lee…" came a voice from behind them. Suddenly, Kanda pushed Lenalee a little rougher than he had intended and looked at the source of the voice. It was Link. He bowed politely to them, showing no indication that he had just seen them making out. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't his business what the exorcists did in their spare time, so long as it didn't interfere with their appointed duties.

"P-please don't tell Nii-san about this, Link!" Lenalee pleaded, her eyes wide with worry.

"It isn't my business, General Lee. Komui-san wants to see both of you. He says that the Order has discovered the location of a new Innocence."

"I-I see. Let's go, then."

"Ah, hello, Kanda, hi, Lenalee. Loath as I am to send two generals on a single mission, the

Order is putting pressure on me to be more careful with whom I assign the task of locating Innocence. Surely, the Noah Family already knows about this, and though I haven't seen any Akuma lately, I believe it's only a matter of time."

"Actually, Nii-san… I never told Leverrier my suspicions, but now seems like an appropriate time. Allen Walker, the new Millennium Earl, was recently turned by one Arturo Kamelot, into a vampire. I believe that he has been turning the rest of the Clan of Noah into vampires, and plans to use them to tempt regular humans into becoming vampires for a new kind of army. Allen always hated the sight of the tortured souls of the Akuma. I don't think that such a fundamental feeling of his would change just because he changed allegiances."

"Thank you for telling me. Do you want me to tell Leverrier. I won't if you ask me not to."

"It's up to you. For now, just tell us where our mission is."

"So down to business my sweet Lenalee-chan is! It's so adorable!" Komui gushed, wavering in his seat. "Anywho, your mission is in America. It's a state called Maine, and it's chilly this time of year, so you'll need to suit up."

"Thank you for your concern, Nii-san…"

Maine was an interesting place. There were mountains all around, and a thick layer of snow covered the ground as far as the eye could see. It was beautiful in its own way, but icy cold, and it seemed as though summer was but a mere concept in that place. Although Lenalee had asked a few of the residents around her, and people on the trains that they took if it ever got warm there, and they said that it did, she wasn't sure. They talked about strange things like blueberry ice cream. Blueberry this, and blueberry that. From the way that they spoke of blueberries, one might be expected to think that it was their state fruit. Apparently in the late summer, blueberries were produced in Maine by the bucketful in hundreds of blueberry farms that stretched for miles all across that large and mountainous state, and in the winter, sports such as ice skating, skiing, and snowboarding were immensely popular, due to the large number of ski resorts that resided there.

Maine was a vacation, and tourist state more than anything else. It had Acadia National Park, which was open year round for various activities, although it was more popular to go hiking there in the summer when the weather was warm. In the summer, the fancy hotels that took up business in Bar Harbor, the tiny little hamlet with the tiny little bookstore, and the tiny little ice cream shop were a roaring success with the tourists who were there to hike in Acadia. In the fall and winter, though, the town was so quiet that you might swear the place was abandoned if it weren't so well kept. Although some people stayed in town in the winter, mostly for skiing, snowboarding and other winter activities, it was much less busy, and children would often go right out into the streets and have snowball fights that would last for hours before, soaked and freezing, they would all run inside to sit by the fire, drinking hot cocoa until they fell asleep by the hearth, never knowing the true danger that lurked all around them every minute of every day.

Lenalee sighed as she looked out the window of the hotel room that she and Kanda were sleeping in at the time. Although they got strange looks from the staff, and occasional mutterings of the "corruption of modern day youth", they were mostly left alone because of the fact that they were generals in the Black Order, who pretty much had leave to go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted, so long as they didn't cause serious trouble. Thus far, although Lenalee had been talking to children around town, she hadn't learned of any overly strange incidents that might indicate the presence of Innocence. She had only heard rumors of a place with an approximate radius of 30 miles that was so heavily windswept that nothing could grow there. The farms had all been blown away, towns had been forced to relocate, leaving a rocky desert in a 120 mile area. Granted, this was odd, but stranger things had been known to happen when regular sorcery was involved. Lenalee wanted to look deeper into this before she decided to go directly to the farm.

That night, she talked to Kanda about what she had learned about the blueberry farmers in order to get his opinion. Kanda had merely nodded and then went deeper into thought. It seemed almost as if he was trying to ignore her, purposely turning the cold shoulder to her. She didn't understand it. She thought that they had worked that out already. Apparently, though, Kanda felt differently. Perhaps he was put off when Lenalee asked Link not to tell Komui. Granted, Komui was, if nothing else, well known for his sister complex. Still, maybe she had offended him.

"Hey, Kanda…" Lenalee said nervously. At this point, Kanda looked up from the desk and stared blankly over at Lenalee. He didn't look angry, but he also didn't look happy. Not that he ever really looked happy, but that was beyond the point.

"Are you… angry at me?" she asked. Kanda raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms.

"No."

"Then what is it? You've been ignoring me ever since we got on the train to come here!"

"It's none of your business. Leave it alone."

"I can't!"

"You have to. Nothing good will come out of being friends with me. The last person I was friends with died by my own hand. I refuse to let the same happen to you."

"Kanda, did you really think that by turning the cold shoulder to me, that you could get rid of me so easily? I know what happened between you and Alma. It wasn't your fault. You need to move on with your life," Lenalee said, smiling sadly and walking over to Kanda, sitting down on his lap and kissing him gently on the lips, draping her arms down his back and stroking up and down. In reaction to this, Kanda blushed heavily, and tried to pull away. Lenalee moved with him, though, and stayed on his lap, bringing her leg up and straddling him, taking his shoulders firmly in her hands and pulling him into a tight embrace, holding him there for a moment, and doing nothing but sitting there, feeling his head pressing against her breasts. Finally, when she released him, he looked up at her, the look in his eyes completely different from the cold, conflicted look that he had mere moments before. She bent over his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Kanda…" and then kissed him once more on the lips, prodding at his lips and pushing past into his mouth, at which point, Kanda slid his tongue along hers and into Lenalee's mouth as well, where they began a wild clash of tongues, a manic, frenzied dance in which their tongues cavorted around in the other's mouth, twisting and turning around the other's tongue, as if trying to wring it dry. Lenalee had never felt this sort of passion for anything before. The high that it gave her was amazing, greater than any drug she could possibly take.

For Kanda's part, he had never really known what love felt like, so all of this was new for him. He had rarely stopped to think about it, actually, since he had always convinced himself that such foolish emotions didn't apply to him. However, it seemed now that he had also fallen for the girl that had half the Order under her finger without even realizing it. Practically the whole science division had a crush on her, Komui was just ludicrous, that Bak Chan guy had a stalker-like obsession with her, and so the list went on and on. And yet, here he was now with her, alone, and having his love reciprocated. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

After a moment of kissing, Lenalee pulled away and looked Kanda in the eyes, noticing that he had become quiet and withdrawn again.

"Are you alright, Kanda?" she asked gently, reaching up and stroking his cheek soothingly. He looked at her nervously, his eyes displaying none of the fierceness that they usually did, none of the killer instinct.

"I'm just… confused, Lenalee. I've never been in love before, and I guess it feels kind of strange. I'm not quite sure what to make of this situation," he said, his voice wavering slightly. He sounded gentler and more vulnerable… more human, at that moment, than Lenalee had ever seen him. It was amazing to see him like this, without the ice cold and steely façade that he normally adopted.

"Well, why don't we start with what you're feeling right now?" Lenalee said softly, pulling back from Kanda and looking up at his brilliantly blue eyes.

"Well…" Kanda said, unable to bring himself to express his feelings like this.

"It's alright. I won't laugh at you."

"My heart is beating faster than it should. I feel short of breath, like I'm about to faint."  
"Anything else?" Lenalee asked with a coy smile.

"I guess I'm nervous. Are you sure this is right?" Kanda asked holding Lenalee at arm's distance for a moment. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stop right now."

"Only you can answer that question, and I'm fine with continuing, but if you feel we should stop, I don't mind."

"No. I don't want to run anymore…" Kanda said innocently, kissing Lenalee again. Lenalee returned his kiss, and they resumed their passionate exchanges, falling out of the chair and onto the floor, laughing nervously as they landed with a loud thud on the ground, rattling the desk, causing pens to roll off and paper to flutter down, landing randomly around them. It didn't really matter to them, though. Lenalee reached up, and began to unbutton Kanda's shirt, leaving Kanda slightly embarrassed.

"This is supposed to happen. And you're supposed to undress me, too." Lenalee said as though it were the most normal thing in the world. Upon hearing this, though, Kanda turned bright red.

"I-I'm supposed t-to take off your clothes! B-but that's completely indecent! I…" Kanda was silenced with a kiss on the lips and Lenalee sticking up her index finger in front of his face.

"It's alright to do if it's with someone you love. I wouldn't advise doing it in public, but when we're alone, it's fine."

"P-p-p-public! Wh-who the _hell_ would d-do something so obscene in _public_!" Kanda yelled so that Lenalee had to shush him again.

"Never mind. Just start with the zipper on the front of my jacket." She said kindly, but directly. With no undue uncertainty, Kanda reached down to her Exorcist's jacket and began to unzip it. As he did, her cleavage began to appear beneath it, causing Kanda to blush a gentle shade of pink as he stared at it. He knew that it was wrong to stare like that, but he couldn't help himself. Being so beautiful, Lenalee seemed to draw the eyes of everyone around her, even ones as seemingly disciplined and uninterested as Kanda.

As the zipper clicked at the end, and came apart, Lenalee helped Kanda slide it off her shoulders and discard it upon the floor. Lenalee then brought Kanda's hands around back to have him unhook her bra. The thought of this, of course, only flustered Kanda more, but this time, he followed Lenalee's lead without remark, reaching around and fumbling for a moment with the hook, and finally unclasping it, feeling a minor sense of victory in this task alone. He then pulled the bra off and threw it on the floor. It was getting harder and harder by the moment to not just rip her skirt and panties off and fuck her like a caveman. He knew now, though, that there must be some formal process that a couple went through before they actually had sex. The first step was the woman sitting on the man's lap and facing him, and then they kissed for a while, making conversation as they did. Whether the topic was important, Kanda wasn't sure. Next, they were supposed to roll onto the floor and begin undressing, expediting the process by assisting their partner in doing so. After that, Kanda had no idea. So, he looked at Lenalee questioningly, and Lenalee brought Kanda's hands to her breasts. Kanda wasn't sure what size would be considered average for breasts, but he was fairly sure that Lenalee was on the larger side, and that Road would have been on the smaller side. Perhaps it had merely to do with age. Of course, if that were the case, then Road's breasts would be extremely large, given that she was over 500.

"What are you thinking about?" Lenalee giggled, as Kanda's hands came to rest and stay on her breasts, not moving, as though his mind was elsewhere.

"I was just wondering how women determined the relative size of their breasts. I assumed that yours were larger than average. This is just speculation, though, as I've never had a chance to see any other than yours up close."

"Oh. Well…" Lenalee said, blushing slightly. "I guess mine would be a little bit larger than normal. I never actually thought about it. But most people don't consider it an issue, anyhow."

"I-I'm sorry. F-forget I said anything…" Kanda said, pulling his hands away.

"Don't stop. I-it felt good," Lenalee said, blushing at this admission.

Kanda reached down, and began to feel her breasts again, moving his fingers gently over her breasts. Lenalee sighed in contentment as his cool hands left trails of passion and desire over her body. Finally, his hands moved off of her breasts, and down her sides, then down to her abdomen, when they reached the top of her skirt. When he started to jerk his hands away, she stopped him.

"No, keep going. Undo my skirt and pull it down. It's just part of getting in the mood."

Kanda almost laughed at this. He was already in the mood. His pants were so tight that they were getting uncomfortable, and he already felt like he was going to explode in his pants, which would ruin them, and would not be a good idea. Nonetheless, he obeyed Lenalee and began to undo her skirt, finding no trouble undoing the button on it and pulling it down, leaving her perfect, silky smooth legs exposed. He ran his fingers down them, feeling every inch, right up to where her panties were. She then pulled down her own panties leaving herself completely naked. Kanda noticed that she was slightly damp between her legs. He didn't say anything, though, as she undid the button on his pants, and pulled them down, noticing that there was a bulge in his underwear. She smiled gently, and lightly brushed it with her fingers, causing Kanda to gasp. Then, giggling under her breath, Lenalee pulled down Kanda's underwear, exposing him completely. She then got up onto her knees and took him into her mouth, unable to go all the way. He was rather larger than she had expected. Nonetheless, she began to bob her head up and down, sucking and licking as she did so, flicking the tip of his cock with her tongue every few times until finally he came in her mouth.

"S-sorry! I-I didn't mean to!" Kanda said nervously, afraid that he had done something wrong. Lenalee merely smiled, though, and swallowed hard.

"Don't worry. You haven't done anything wrong. Now, take your fingers like this, and put them in here… not all the way, just halfway, and pull in and out. Then, keep doing it. Keep the pace going. Stick with two fingers for now. Maybe you can put in more lat… aaahh! Aaghhh!" She gasped, her eyes rolling back in her head as he moved his fingers in and out of her tight, damp pussy, brushing her clit with his knuckle as he did so. Kanda was unknowingly better than he thought he was at this. "Oh God!" she cried loudly, "Ahhh! Kanda!" She screamed, finally, as she orgasmed all over his hand. Slowly, he pulled his fingers out, and Lenalee told him to put a condom on. She had come prepared, just in case this happened. She wasn't sure if it would, but she didn't want them to be in the mood with no condoms. She couldn't risk getting pregnant. First of all, she was too young. Second, her brother would throw a fit, and would probably lock her up for life, and kill Kanda with his own sword. He nodded and unwrapped the wrapper around it, sliding it onto his hardened, throbbing cock. He groaned as he did so, almost coming right then. He didn't, though, and he positioned himself at Lenalee's entrance, and began to push in slowly. He watched in horror, though, as Lenalee's face screwed up in pain, and immediately stopped.

"S-sorry! I didn't mean t-to hurt you!"

"No, it's… okay. It's supposed to hurt the first time. Just keep going… It will be alright, I promise," she said, kissing him as reassurance. He nodded, and then pushed all the way in, breaking her hymen in the process. She yelped in pain as this happened, but then smiled and told him to continue. He then began thrusting in and out, slowly at first. For the first few thrusts, Lenalee had to grit her teeth to not cry out in pain. But then, the pain slowly subsided and began to be taken over by a feeling of ecstasy greater than anything she had ever felt before. As Kanda's movements got faster and faster, Lenalee's gasps and moans, and Kanda's visceral grunts became louder and louder.

"Lenalee! Aaahhh! Oh God!" Kanda yelled, thrusting harder and faster, ever harder and faster. "Kanda! Oh, keep going!" She pleaded. "Please, don't stop!" This continued, their cries of ecstasy building up from what was _piano_, to _forte_, then _fortissimo_, until finally, they reached a glorious and majestic crescendo of ecstasy and screaming as Lenalee's walls tightened around Kanda's cock, and they had a mutual orgasm the likes of which neither of them had felt before in their lives.

Unfortunately for them, their backup had chosen that moment to unlock the door and walk into the room. And there Lavi stood, watching in near disbelief the scene before his eyes with two finders behind him, both of whom had already run out, knowing that seeing any more could endanger their lives if Komui ever became involved. Lavi grinned in embarrassment.

"Sorry… Haha! I can see you two don't need backup after all! I told them that two generals were perfectly capable of finding an Innocence on their own, and I was right! I'll just go now!" he said, his voice sounding slightly hysterical. Kanda wasn't sure of what to say, but Lenalee could sense that something worse than what was already immediately transparent had happened. Lavi then turned and slammed the door behind him, and they both heard running down the hall.

A/N: I hope it wasn't too bad. It was the first time that I've done a KandaxLenalee lemon, and I thought that it would be humorous to make Kanda a virgin (Fangirls, please don't kill me).


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Lenalee cleaned herself off as best she could, and put on a bathrobe over her naked body, and ran out after Lavi. She knew that she was much faster than him if it came down to it. She didn't want to have to make it a footrace, though. She would have much preferred a situation where she could convince him to stay and talk to her. Eventually, of course, using her tracking skills, she found him, sitting on a bench near the elevator, sobbing. He looked horrible. His hair was in disarray, his bandanna, which was normally neatly wrapped around his head, was in his hand, being used to wipe his face, leaving his hair to fly every which way. His entire body was wracked with miserable sobs, and he was shaking from head to toe. When he looked up and saw Lenalee, he nearly fell off the bench and tried to escape. Lenalee grabbed him, though, and threw him back on the bench with a little more force, perhaps, than was necessary. She then sat down next to him and took both of his hands in both of hers. Before she could say anything, though, Lavi looked up and spoke.

"I loved you, Lenalee. Perhaps it's my own selfishness, but I had intended to tell you as soon as I got out of the hospital wing. I had planned to tell you sooner, right after your meeting with Leverrier when you went into the hospital. But that went wrong. Then various things happened, and I kept putting it off, and now… I guess it's stupid to have even said anything."

"Lavi, it's never stupid to tell someone how you feel about them. I didn't know that you were coming. Nii-san didn't phone ahead. Had I known, I wouldn't have…"

"No. It's good that I found out. Now I know I don't have a chance. At least I won't be hoping for something that will never happen. It's my fault, really. I should never have grown attached to the people from the Order in the first place. I let myself become attached, and now, I'm paying the price. A Bookman doesn't become attached to anyone. I'll call the Order and tell them that I'm on my way back. Goodbye, Lenalee…" He said. He wasn't angry at her. He may have been a lot of things. Hurt, distraught, mortified, humiliated… He wasn't angry, though. He understood as well as the next person that love was a strange thing, that it didn't discriminate, and that anyone could fall prey to its power. So with that, he smiled sadly at Lenalee and walked to the elevator, closing the gate and seemingly disappearing from view forever. Lenalee couldn't believe what had just happened. She couldn't believe that she was singlehandedly responsible for the loss of two more exorcists. She was still carrying around the remnants of her guilt for their loss of Allen, and now Lavi left as well. It seemed like soon, there wouldn't be any exorcists left to fight in the war. The next day, they could waste no time in finding the Innocence. They needed to find it fast, and find its accommodator equally fast. She knew that it would not be easy. However, when were these kinds of things easy? With that thought in mind, Lenalee returned to the relative comfort of her own room, where Kanda was in the shower, washing himself off. Extremely distraught, Lenalee removed her robe again, and climbed into the shower, standing before Kanda, and beginning the steps of foreplay once more, hoping that in the throes of passion, she could forget her own misery. Kanda, still being new at this, was not sure what to make of it, but went along with it, and the two made love long into the night until they were both exhausted, and stumbled out of the shower, barely managing to dry themselves off and climb into bed before literally fainting from fatigue.

_At least_, Lenalee thought,_ it helped me forget for a little while_.

Although she loved Kanda, not Lavi, his confession, and then declaration of resignation from the Order disturbed her deeply. She had never meant to hurt him like this. She had never meant to tear so many lives apart. One was too many, but two? And who knew how many lives would be lost or destroyed because of the potentially widespread effects of the singular act of having sex for the first time with Kanda. The sex led to them being discovered in the act by Lavi, whom she knew wouldn't tell Komui, but that was beside the point. Lavi and Bookman would leave the Order, as Bookman would surely see things from Lavi's perspective, being such an impartial observer, himself. Then, the Order would be down two good exorcists, and what then? With two fewer soldiers in the war against Allen walker and the Clan of Noah, who could say what would happen? Would they lose? Would the world fall into anarchy after Allen defeated the Order, and took over the world? Would the world indeed be ruled for all of eternity by vampires, as Allen wanted? Lenalee couldn't let that happen. And so, she swore to herself that she would redouble her efforts the next day to find the Innocence.

Lavi sighed as he walked through the night in Bar Harbor. It was a quaint little place. It was actually places like these that made Lavi wonder how the rest of the world could possibly be so screwed up. He wished that he could just forget what he had seen, forget that a girl named Lenalee ever existed, and that she was the strongest, most amazing woman that he had ever met. Forget the Order entirely and move on without a backwards thought.

Like this, he walked through the snowy town, not paying much attention, not even seeing the need. It wasn't like the Akuma existed anymore, so they couldn't really hide amongst people. What he was failing to realize was that vampires almost exclusively came out at night. Normally, he wouldn't care about vampires. He was strong enough to fight all but the toughest of vampires. Unfortunately, it was the toughest of vampires who stalked the night that time. Slowly, from out the shadows stepped a tall man in a top hat and a high quality coat, wearing gloves and carrying with him a cane. His hair was pushed back, and on his forehead, he had the telltale stigmata of the Clan of Noah. His skin was dark gray, and his eyes were golden, nearly glowing in the light. Lavi wasn't scared, though. Even though he normally would have been, it didn't concern him, as he no longer considered himself an exorcist.

"Hello, Mikk. What do you want?" Lavi asked dully. Tyki Mikk laughed and walked toward Lavi, talking as he did.

"Should it not be fairly obvious? My orders are not to take your life, merely your Innocence. Would you perhaps be amenable to simply handing it over?" Tyki asked with a wry smile, raising an eyebrow. Lavi smirked. He may have been done with the Order, but he wasn't stupid, nor was he willing to contribute to the Noah winning the war.

"How 'bout this, Mikk. Take that cane you've got right there… Yeah, that cane… And stick it up your ass."

"No need to be vulgar, Exorcist. I was merely asking a question. However, I suppose that since you give me no option, I will have to hurt you."

"Try it if you can!" Lavi laughed, growing his hammer and slamming the fire seal and the electric seal together, drawing the twin attack in a wide circle, causing a long tail of crackling lightning and fire to surge through the air before passing Lavi and hitting Tyki Mikk dead on. Lavi laughed and landed on the ground once more, waiting for the smoke to clear, to confirm that he had killed Mikk. When the smoke cleared, though, Tyki Mikk was still there without so much as a scratch on him.

"Ahahaha! That was a good try, exorcist. But now that I'm a vampire, you'll have to do better than that," he said, drawing Dark Energy around his fist in a lance-like shape and jumping high into the air, flashing as he reached the top of his arc, and slamming it towards Lavi, who just barely managed to block it with his hammer. Tyki then jumped back and flashed behind Lavi, creating a blade out of the Dark Matter that had just been a lance, and slashed at Lavi, cutting his shoulder badly enough to draw a fair amount of blood. Lavi cursed as he jumped out of the way, and slammed his hammer down on Tyki, who grabbed it and threw it aside with Lavi still attached. As he did so, though, he leapt toward Lavi, and reached through his arm at the shoulder, using his "choose" ability, then solidified his hand again, literally ripping Lavi's arm off of his shoulder, causing Lavi to scream in agony as the bloody remnants of his arm fell to the ground, dropping the hammer as it went. Tyki then landed on the ground and picked up the hammer, shattering it and exposing the bare Innocence that resided inside it. He then closed his fist around it, causing it to crumble to dust. He then sighed and looked down at Lavi, who was a perfect mess by then, his blood having spilled from the stump of his arm onto the formerly white snow, staining it crimson.

Tyki had always seen art in bloodshed, or at least for as long as he had been a Noah. The intricate patterns in which the blood spread out onto the ground below, the exquisite smell of metal as the life seeped out of the person's body. It was truly majestic, almost like a painting done all in crimson. Tyki smirked at his "artwork" and disappeared into the night, laughing devilishly as he faded into the darkness.

The next day was a quiet one. Lenalee, having enjoyed making love to Kanda, but feeling slightly guilty, now, not because she regretted the act itself, but because of what happened because of it, wasn't sure what to say to Kanda. Somehow, though, Kanda seemed to sense this, and had decided to not say anything. Instead, they dressed silently, and went about their individual business for the morning, Lenalee drinking her coffee, Kanda meditating, as he always did in the morning. For him, meditation was a necessary part of his day. It calmed his mood before the day started.

When they were both ready, they each grabbed their Innocence and walked to the door, going down the elevator and into the lobby, where there was only a small crowd of people on their way to breakfast… Or at least, they thought that they were on their way to breakfast. Instead, they were all crowded around a radio that had been so conveniently set on a table right by the dining room. Kanda and Lenalee pushed through the crowd, wanting to hear what they were saying on the radio. Just as they got up to the front, as if on cue, the program came back across the air.

_ We now return to you, our listeners, as the police investigate the strange assault on a young man with red hair, and wearing strange clothing. Although the young man is now awake, he seems unable to remember anything, claiming not even to remember having his right arm removed with what appears to be near surgical precision. We will return to you when we have more information._

Lenalee gasped as she heard this and began shoving people out of the way, running to the door of the hotel with Kanda immediately in tow. Someone had attacked Lavi, and Lenalee could think of only one person who could remove his arm with such accuracy. It had to be Tyki Mikk. There was no other person alive who could be so precise and brutally efficient, attacking someone in the dead of night with nary a sound released, and disappearing just as silently. The two Exorcists ran outside into the snowy streets, seeing the ambulance pulling away already. Lenalee cursed. She knew that she needed to go faster. She had to meet the ambulance at the hospital. She looked at Kanda, who was right next to her, keeping up with relative ease.

"I'm activating my boots. I'll go ahead and meet him there. You catch up when you can."

"Got it."

With that, Lenalee activated her Innocence, speeding ahead in a near sonic boom, blackening the ground beneath her. As she sped along behind the ambulance, she found herself getting annoyed at how slow she was forced to move. So, she jumped up into the ambulance, where there were two medics sitting by Lavi's stretcher. They both looked up at Lenalee with looks of disbelief, and started to call for help. Lenalee silenced them, though, by putting a finger to her lips. For some reason, they seemed apt to obey her.

"Shh… I'm with the Dark Order. So is he. Get up front. I need to talk to him alone."

The two medics nodded, having long since heard that name. The Dark Order was world renowned, although they didn't understand how it was still in operation, given that the war was supposed to have ended over a year before. Climbing up front, though, they left Lenalee and Lavi alone.

"Lenalee. You shouldn't be here. I'm not part of the Order anymore, remember?" Lavi said quietly, fixing Lenalee with a scowl. Lenalee sighed.

"So you finally remembered?"

"Remembered? Oh! Right, I was just playing dumb," he said with a laugh. Then, his face grew wistful. "It seems it's the one thing I'm really good at."

"Lavi! Don't say that. You couldn't have become a Bookman, or an Exorcist unless you were talented at a lot of things."

"Why are you here, Lenalee! As you may or may not have noticed, my Innocence is gone. Big Hammer, Small Hammer is no more. Tyki Mikk destroyed it. I'm not your comrade anymore."

"I-I'm here because we're friends, and I was worried about you! God! You're just like Allen! You never think of anyone besides yourself! Did you even once stop to think that maybe you weren't the only one who had his feelings hurt last night! For the past year, I've watched everything that I thought I knew about the world crumbling around me! I thought that Allen was one of the nicest people alive, and that maybe Road wasn't as bad as she was made out to be! I thought that maybe, just maybe I could forgive Road for what she had done! I thought that Allen would never betray my trust, would never turn on his friends and family! And now, we mean nothing to him anymore! He's found a new family, and apparently, they have better dim sum! Now, he and Road are going around with the rest of the Noah Family, destroying Innocence and hurting people, and it's fucking déjà vu all over again!" She shrieked, her voice steadily rising and becoming more hysterical. Her fingers were now laced through her hair, gripping her head as if she were in pain, and tears were freely flowing down her cheeks. She had already fallen to her knees, and was barely able to keep her voice steady. In truth, she looked about ready to start tearing her own hair out. Lavi was more than a little bit worried about Lenalee.

Sitting up, he used his one remaining arm to pull Lenalee into a sitting position, and he embraced her tightly. He wasn't really sure what else to do. The stump of his arm was no longer bleeding so profusely, so he didn't risk getting any blood on Lenalee, and he felt it was the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry, Lenalee. I should have considered your feelings as well. I was being selfish. Now, though, it's pointless to go back to the Order. I failed. My Innocence was destroyed last night. Tyki Mikk destroyed it."

"Well, that is a setback. You were a good exorcist, but there's no reason that you can't still work for the Order."

"No. It's impossible. Nobody there would accept me anymore."

"I don't think that's true. Everyone at the Order still cares about you. Losing your weapon doesn't make you any less important to them."

With that, Lenalee smiled at Lavi and left, leaving Lavi also to his thoughts. Lavi had a lot to think about. Although he was no longer an exorcist, he could easily be a finder, having gone through all of the training needed to be an exorcist. Plus, he already had a good relationship with most of the exorcists, and maybe now that Kanda had gotten laid, he'd be less of a jerk. Granted, Lavi wished that he could have gotten laid by anyone other than Lenalee. He had always kind of wished that Lenalee would love him. That was irrelevant, though. What mattered most at the moment was defeating Allen and the Noah Family. If Lenalee dating Kanda helped do that, then Lavi could handle it… He hoped.

A/N: I had to resist the urge to turn this chapter into a songfic. Usually, I'm not a fan of them, but there are rare occasions when it might work. In this case, I thought the chapter might go well to Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson. I actually got the inspiration for the idea from an AMV that I saw on Youtube. Chapter Fifteen

Lenalee cleaned herself off as best she could, and put on a bathrobe over her naked body, and ran out after Lavi. She knew that she was much faster than him if it came down to it. She didn't want to have to make it a footrace, though. She would have much preferred a situation where she could convince him to stay and talk to her. Eventually, of course, using her tracking skills, she found him, sitting on a bench near the elevator, sobbing. He looked horrible. His hair was in disarray, his bandanna, which was normally neatly wrapped around his head, was in his hand, being used to wipe his face, leaving his hair to fly every which way. His entire body was wracked with miserable sobs, and he was shaking from head to toe. When he looked up and saw Lenalee, he nearly fell off the bench and tried to escape. Lenalee grabbed him, though, and threw him back on the bench with a little more force, perhaps, than was necessary. She then sat down next to him and took both of his hands in both of hers. Before she could say anything, though, Lavi looked up and spoke.

"I loved you, Lenalee. Perhaps it's my own selfishness, but I had intended to tell you as soon as I got out of the hospital wing. I had planned to tell you sooner, right after your meeting with Leverrier when you went into the hospital. But that went wrong. Then various things happened, and I kept putting it off, and now… I guess it's stupid to have even said anything."

"Lavi, it's never stupid to tell someone how you feel about them. I didn't know that you were coming. Nii-san didn't phone ahead. Had I known, I wouldn't have…"

"No. It's good that I found out. Now I know I don't have a chance. At least I won't be hoping for something that will never happen. It's my fault, really. I should never have grown attached to the people from the Order in the first place. I let myself become attached, and now, I'm paying the price. A Bookman doesn't become attached to anyone. I'll call the Order and tell them that I'm on my way back. Goodbye, Lenalee…" He said. He wasn't angry at her. He may have been a lot of things. Hurt, distraught, mortified, humiliated… He wasn't angry, though. He understood as well as the next person that love was a strange thing, that it didn't discriminate, and that anyone could fall prey to its power. So with that, he smiled sadly at Lenalee and walked to the elevator, closing the gate and seemingly disappearing from view forever. Lenalee couldn't believe what had just happened. She couldn't believe that she was singlehandedly responsible for the loss of two more exorcists. She was still carrying around the remnants of her guilt for their loss of Allen, and now Lavi left as well. It seemed like soon, there wouldn't be any exorcists left to fight in the war. The next day, they could waste no time in finding the Innocence. They needed to find it fast, and find its accommodator equally fast. She knew that it would not be easy. However, when were these kinds of things easy? With that thought in mind, Lenalee returned to the relative comfort of her own room, where Kanda was in the shower, washing himself off. Extremely distraught, Lenalee removed her robe again, and climbed into the shower, standing before Kanda, and beginning the steps of foreplay once more, hoping that in the throes of passion, she could forget her own misery. Kanda, still being new at this, was not sure what to make of it, but went along with it, and the two made love long into the night until they were both exhausted, and stumbled out of the shower, barely managing to dry themselves off and climb into bed before literally fainting from fatigue.

_At least_, Lenalee thought,_ it helped me forget for a little while_.

Although she loved Kanda, not Lavi, his confession, and then declaration of resignation from the Order disturbed her deeply. She had never meant to hurt him like this. She had never meant to tear so many lives apart. One was too many, but two? And who knew how many lives would be lost or destroyed because of the potentially widespread effects of the singular act of having sex for the first time with Kanda. The sex led to them being discovered in the act by Lavi, whom she knew wouldn't tell Komui, but that was beside the point. Lavi and Bookman would leave the Order, as Bookman would surely see things from Lavi's perspective, being such an impartial observer, himself. Then, the Order would be down two good exorcists, and what then? With two fewer soldiers in the war against Allen walker and the Clan of Noah, who could say what would happen? Would they lose? Would the world fall into anarchy after Allen defeated the Order, and took over the world? Would the world indeed be ruled for all of eternity by vampires, as Allen wanted? Lenalee couldn't let that happen. And so, she swore to herself that she would redouble her efforts the next day to find the Innocence.

Lavi sighed as he walked through the night in Bar Harbor. It was a quaint little place. It was actually places like these that made Lavi wonder how the rest of the world could possibly be so screwed up. He wished that he could just forget what he had seen, forget that a girl named Lenalee ever existed, and that she was the strongest, most amazing woman that he had ever met. Forget the Order entirely and move on without a backwards thought.

Like this, he walked through the snowy town, not paying much attention, not even seeing the need. It wasn't like the Akuma existed anymore, so they couldn't really hide amongst people. What he was failing to realize was that vampires almost exclusively came out at night. Normally, he wouldn't care about vampires. He was strong enough to fight all but the toughest of vampires. Unfortunately, it was the toughest of vampires who stalked the night that time. Slowly, from out the shadows stepped a tall man in a top hat and a high quality coat, wearing gloves and carrying with him a cane. His hair was pushed back, and on his forehead, he had the telltale stigmata of the Clan of Noah. His skin was dark gray, and his eyes were golden, nearly glowing in the light. Lavi wasn't scared, though. Even though he normally would have been, it didn't concern him, as he no longer considered himself an exorcist.

"Hello, Mikk. What do you want?" Lavi asked dully. Tyki Mikk laughed and walked toward Lavi, talking as he did.

"Should it not be fairly obvious? My orders are not to take your life, merely your Innocence. Would you perhaps be amenable to simply handing it over?" Tyki asked with a wry smile, raising an eyebrow. Lavi smirked. He may have been done with the Order, but he wasn't stupid, nor was he willing to contribute to the Noah winning the war.

"How 'bout this, Mikk. Take that cane you've got right there… Yeah, that cane… And stick it up your ass."

"No need to be vulgar, Exorcist. I was merely asking a question. However, I suppose that since you give me no option, I will have to hurt you."

"Try it if you can!" Lavi laughed, growing his hammer and slamming the fire seal and the electric seal together, drawing the twin attack in a wide circle, causing a long tail of crackling lightning and fire to surge through the air before passing Lavi and hitting Tyki Mikk dead on. Lavi laughed and landed on the ground once more, waiting for the smoke to clear, to confirm that he had killed Mikk. When the smoke cleared, though, Tyki Mikk was still there without so much as a scratch on him.

"Ahahaha! That was a good try, exorcist. But now that I'm a vampire, you'll have to do better than that," he said, drawing Dark Energy around his fist in a lance-like shape and jumping high into the air, flashing as he reached the top of his arc, and slamming it towards Lavi, who just barely managed to block it with his hammer. Tyki then jumped back and flashed behind Lavi, creating a blade out of the Dark Matter that had just been a lance, and slashed at Lavi, cutting his shoulder badly enough to draw a fair amount of blood. Lavi cursed as he jumped out of the way, and slammed his hammer down on Tyki, who grabbed it and threw it aside with Lavi still attached. As he did so, though, he leapt toward Lavi, and reached through his arm at the shoulder, using his "choose" ability, then solidified his hand again, literally ripping Lavi's arm off of his shoulder, causing Lavi to scream in agony as the bloody remnants of his arm fell to the ground, dropping the hammer as it went. Tyki then landed on the ground and picked up the hammer, shattering it and exposing the bare Innocence that resided inside it. He then closed his fist around it, causing it to crumble to dust. He then sighed and looked down at Lavi, who was a perfect mess by then, his blood having spilled from the stump of his arm onto the formerly white snow, staining it crimson.

Tyki had always seen art in bloodshed, or at least for as long as he had been a Noah. The intricate patterns in which the blood spread out onto the ground below, the exquisite smell of metal as the life seeped out of the person's body. It was truly majestic, almost like a painting done all in crimson. Tyki smirked at his "artwork" and disappeared into the night, laughing devilishly as he faded into the darkness.

The next day was a quiet one. Lenalee, having enjoyed making love to Kanda, but feeling slightly guilty, now, not because she regretted the act itself, but because of what happened because of it, wasn't sure what to say to Kanda. Somehow, though, Kanda seemed to sense this, and had decided to not say anything. Instead, they dressed silently, and went about their individual business for the morning, Lenalee drinking her coffee, Kanda meditating, as he always did in the morning. For him, meditation was a necessary part of his day. It calmed his mood before the day started.

When they were both ready, they each grabbed their Innocence and walked to the door, going down the elevator and into the lobby, where there was only a small crowd of people on their way to breakfast… Or at least, they thought that they were on their way to breakfast. Instead, they were all crowded around a radio that had been so conveniently set on a table right by the dining room. Kanda and Lenalee pushed through the crowd, wanting to hear what they were saying on the radio. Just as they got up to the front, as if on cue, the program came back across the air.

_ We now return to you, our listeners, as the police investigate the strange assault on a young man with red hair, and wearing strange clothing. Although the young man is now awake, he seems unable to remember anything, claiming not even to remember having his right arm removed with what appears to be near surgical precision. We will return to you when we have more information._

Lenalee gasped as she heard this and began shoving people out of the way, running to the door of the hotel with Kanda immediately in tow. Someone had attacked Lavi, and Lenalee could think of only one person who could remove his arm with such accuracy. It had to be Tyki Mikk. There was no other person alive who could be so precise and brutally efficient, attacking someone in the dead of night with nary a sound released, and disappearing just as silently. The two Exorcists ran outside into the snowy streets, seeing the ambulance pulling away already. Lenalee cursed. She knew that she needed to go faster. She had to meet the ambulance at the hospital. She looked at Kanda, who was right next to her, keeping up with relative ease.

"I'm activating my boots. I'll go ahead and meet him there. You catch up when you can."

"Got it."

With that, Lenalee activated her Innocence, speeding ahead in a near sonic boom, blackening the ground beneath her. As she sped along behind the ambulance, she found herself getting annoyed at how slow she was forced to move. So, she jumped up into the ambulance, where there were two medics sitting by Lavi's stretcher. They both looked up at Lenalee with looks of disbelief, and started to call for help. Lenalee silenced them, though, by putting a finger to her lips. For some reason, they seemed apt to obey her.

"Shh… I'm with the Dark Order. So is he. Get up front. I need to talk to him alone."

The two medics nodded, having long since heard that name. The Dark Order was world renowned, although they didn't understand how it was still in operation, given that the war was supposed to have ended over a year before. Climbing up front, though, they left Lenalee and Lavi alone.

"Lenalee. You shouldn't be here. I'm not part of the Order anymore, remember?" Lavi said quietly, fixing Lenalee with a scowl. Lenalee sighed.

"So you finally remembered?"

"Remembered? Oh! Right, I was just playing dumb," he said with a laugh. Then, his face grew wistful. "It seems it's the one thing I'm really good at."

"Lavi! Don't say that. You couldn't have become a Bookman, or an Exorcist unless you were talented at a lot of things."

"Why are you here, Lenalee! As you may or may not have noticed, my Innocence is gone. Big Hammer, Small Hammer is no more. Tyki Mikk destroyed it. I'm not your comrade anymore."

"I-I'm here because we're friends, and I was worried about you! God! You're just like Allen! You never think of anyone besides yourself! Did you even once stop to think that maybe you weren't the only one who had his feelings hurt last night! For the past year, I've watched everything that I thought I knew about the world crumbling around me! I thought that Allen was one of the nicest people alive, and that maybe Road wasn't as bad as she was made out to be! I thought that maybe, just maybe I could forgive Road for what she had done! I thought that Allen would never betray my trust, would never turn on his friends and family! And now, we mean nothing to him anymore! He's found a new family, and apparently, they have better dim sum! Now, he and Road are going around with the rest of the Noah Family, destroying Innocence and hurting people, and it's fucking déjà vu all over again!" She shrieked, her voice steadily rising and becoming more hysterical. Her fingers were now laced through her hair, gripping her head as if she were in pain, and tears were freely flowing down her cheeks. She had already fallen to her knees, and was barely able to keep her voice steady. In truth, she looked about ready to start tearing her own hair out. Lavi was more than a little bit worried about Lenalee.

Sitting up, he used his one remaining arm to pull Lenalee into a sitting position, and he embraced her tightly. He wasn't really sure what else to do. The stump of his arm was no longer bleeding so profusely, so he didn't risk getting any blood on Lenalee, and he felt it was the right thing to do.

"I'm sorry, Lenalee. I should have considered your feelings as well. I was being selfish. Now, though, it's pointless to go back to the Order. I failed. My Innocence was destroyed last night. Tyki Mikk destroyed it."

"Well, that is a setback. You were a good exorcist, but there's no reason that you can't still work for the Order."

"No. It's impossible. Nobody there would accept me anymore."

"I don't think that's true. Everyone at the Order still cares about you. Losing your weapon doesn't make you any less important to them."

With that, Lenalee smiled at Lavi and left, leaving Lavi also to his thoughts. Lavi had a lot to think about. Although he was no longer an exorcist, he could easily be a finder, having gone through all of the training needed to be an exorcist. Plus, he already had a good relationship with most of the exorcists, and maybe now that Kanda had gotten laid, he'd be less of a jerk. Granted, Lavi wished that he could have gotten laid by anyone other than Lenalee. He had always kind of wished that Lenalee would love him. That was irrelevant, though. What mattered most at the moment was defeating Allen and the Noah Family. If Lenalee dating Kanda helped do that, then Lavi could handle it… He hoped.

A/N: I had to resist the urge to turn this chapter into a songfic. Usually, I'm not a fan of them, but there are rare occasions when it might work. In this case, I thought the chapter might go well to Smooth Criminal by Michael Jackson. I actually got the inspiration for the idea from an AMV that I saw on Youtube.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

One day had been lost. That was probably what the Noah Clan was hoping for, but still, the next day, after Lavi was sent back to the Order, Kanda and Lenalee started their search anew for the Innocence that had escaped their memory the previous day. It was an icy cold day in late December. Christmas would be coming soon, and Lenalee was hoping to be back to HQ by then so that she could spend it with all of her friends and comrades. Christmas had always been her favorite time of the year… not so much because of the presents, (although she always seemed to get a lot of them), but because no exorcists went out on Christmas for missions. Duties ground to a halt, and everyone in the Order, no matter how hard they usually worked, stopped anything that they were doing, and began to cover the entire inside of HQ with Christmas decorations. It was a time that everyone could be together, and, in spite of any differences they may have at other times of the year, get along and make merry.

She had always noticed in the past that Kanda was the only one who spent Christmas alone. He seemed to be in an even more foul mood than usual around that time of year. Even around her, with whom he usually got along well, he rarely did any more than glare and growl, and then go back to ignoring her. One year she had asked him why he was in such a bad mood, and he said that it was because he hated Christmas. Lavi overheard, and called him the Grinch, which got him a severe beating from Kanda. After that, though, she never bothered Kanda on Christmas again. Despite that, she always wondered why he would hate Christmas so much. And now, she was resolved to find out, even if it killed her. With that in mind, she ran up to Kanda and walked next to him.

"Kanda, I know that you're kind of a secretive person, but you never explained to me why you hated Christmas so much," she said, her eyes downcast slightly. She was a little bit nervous. She knew how he could get when he was in a bad mood. He was ill tempered even on the best of days, but when he got in a bad mood, that only made things worse. This time, though, Kanda didn't yell at her. He just looked away and said, "it isn't Christmas that I hate. I hate all holidays. Christmas, Easter, New Year. I never could stand holidays."

"What! Why? Holidays are supposed to be happy times for family and friends!" Lenalee protested. Kanda looked at her skeptically, though and snorted.

"Right. When I find some people who want to be my friends, I'll celebrate then…" he said sarcastically, but with an air of unhappiness that sort of brought down Lenalee's mood as well.

"What are you talking about! What about Lavi, and Krory, Miranda, Timothy, the people in the science department, Nii-chan… W-what about me?" She asked uncomfortably. She continued, though.

"I-I thought you loved me…"

"I do. You don't feel the same way, though, do you? I always wondered what sex was supposed to be for, beyond simple procreation. It's obvious to me now, though. It's simply a means for humans to gain physical gratification. Love isn't a prerequisite for sex. The only thing required is two humans and a surface on which to perform the…" BAM!

Suddenly, Kanda found himself on the ground, bright white lights bursting before his eyes. He shook his head to clear the static from it and found that Lenalee had hit him harder than he had first thought. Now his face was hurting like a bitch.

"So that's what you think of me!" Lenalee screamed, her entire body shaking with rage. "Do you really think that I'd do what I did with you with just _anyone_! That kind of thing is supposed to be special! For your information, Kanda, I _did_ love you! I loved you more than I can even tell you! I know that I can't back out on this mission now, but from now on, don't even _talk_ to me!"

For a moment, Kanda was too shocked to say anything, but then he looked at Lenalee's face. Tears were flinging from the corners of her eyes, causing them to shimmer in the bright winter light, and she was red with hurt and rage… And for some reason, Kanda couldn't help but laugh. This was the first time that he had ever laughed in his entire life. He had seen other people do it, but the most he had ever done was scoff at someone. But now, he was lying there on the ground, unable to stand up because he was laughing so hard. Upon realizing that he was laughing, Lenalee became even more angry.

"Do you find me amusing, Kanda! I wasn't trying to be funny!" She shrieked, trying to be heard over Kanda's wild fit of laughter.

"S-sorry, Lenalee… Pfft… I kn-know that it's wrong of me to laugh, but you just look so adorable when you're angry… I c-couldn't help it…" he said, standing up and dusting himself off, bowing in apology.

For a moment, Lenalee just stood there, unable to quite comprehend what he had said to her. After a little while, though, she felt herself giggling as well. Somehow, Kanda's idiocy was hilarious, and before long, both of them were practically falling over themselves laughing. They laughed at their own stupidity, at the stupidity of the other, at what Komui would say if he ever found out about their little "weekend getaway". Suddenly, they just both felt as though everything was hilarious. Eventually, though, they got back on track, and made it to the farm, outside which, they were met by an aging man with a rusted pitchfork and who appeared as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. He smiled politely at Lenalee and Kanda and led them inside, apparently having been told about their coming.

"Heard y'all were comin' t'investigate the strange winds on this here farm. T'ain't no need, really. S'just bad luck in weather. I was plannin' on retirin' soon, anyhow. My son ain't got no interest in farmin' blueberries, so I'd likely sell off this here land. Hate t'see it go to developers, but them's the breaks, right?" He said in a distinctly southern drawl, despite the fact that he was from the Northeast. As he opened the door to his house, he stood back and allowed Lenalee and Kanda to walk in. They bowed politely and walked past him.

"So, yous two is foreigners, eh? Where ya from? Orient? Japan? Korea?"

"England…" Lenalee and Kanda said together.

"I-I see… Well, make yerselves at home. I gots a rather large family, and they're all gathered here fer Christmas, but there's at least room fer two more…"

"We won't be staying long. We just need to know where the winds are coming from."

"Well, I always 'spected it came from the root cellar. There's miles of tunnels and chambers under there from back when this place was a stop on th' underground railroad. My grandfather was a great man. Wealthy as King Midas, but had a heart of gold. He offered freed slaves jobs up here workin' as hired farm hands pickin' blueberries. Gave 'em housin' an' everything. I'm proud t'be his grandson."

"Thank you, very much sir. When did the winds start kicking up?" Lenalee asked politely, smiling at him. He scratched a long scar on his chin for a moment, deep in thought.

"Y'know, it started right after my son went away t'college five years ago, and like clockwork on Thanksgiving and Christmas when he comes back, the winds just stop. 'Course, can't grow diddly doodah in th' middle o' winter, but, 's nice to not hear the wind howlin' every once in a while. Back when my grandfather owned the farm, there was always a massive crop of blueberries every year, each year producing more than the previous year. Said it was God himself, smilin' down on him. But then, when he died, the crops died with him, winds started picking up and blowing all the soil away. Then, my son was born, and the winds stopped, and we had huge crops again. Then, five years ago, he went to college, and the winds destroyed everything again. Ain't no problem, really. Got's plenty of money, but it is a shame that I can't keep eating farm fresh blueberries in the summer."

Kanda raised an eyebrow, but Lenalee merely kept the smile on her face, and followed the farmer as he led them down to the basement, where tunnels seemed to emanate out of every wall. Kanda and Lenalee gasped when they saw them. It looked like they really had their work cut out for them. The Innocence reader that they had brought could give them general directions, as it had not been completely finished yet. The scientists in the Research and Development team had put a rush on that project along with the Dark Energy Detector, which was also very helpful, especially if one didn't want to run into Noahs. As Lenalee and Kanda entered one of the tunnels, they looked around for telltale signs of Innocence, which would most likely be bright light, or it could be as simple and subtle as strange animal behavior.

As the pair got further into the tunnel, it became colder and colder, and the ground became harder, and more slippery because of the ice. Kanda had no problem walking on it, but Lenalee was having major difficulty even standing, let alone walking. She was usually well balanced, but the tunnels seemed to be moving downward, further into the earth, and the downhill slope made her slip and slide. After a few minutes, she nearly fell off her feet, but Kanda grabbed her upper arm, preventing her from falling, but hurting her shoulder while he was at it. After another moment, or two, Lenalee managed to find her balance on the precarious and icy surface of the tunnels and continue on, albeit at a slowed pace, making for an arduous and irritatingly slow descent down into the main chamber under the farm.

As the tunnels twisted and turned, no doubt to confuse any pursuers, Lenalee, found that she and Kanda were getting lost. She was sure that she had passed that specific rock formation already, although she couldn't be sure. She suddenly had an idea, though. Kanda wouldn't like it most likely, but it was the only viable option.

"Kanda, how long would that jacket be if you unraveled it entirely?"  
"What! Why the hell would I do something so stupid!"

"To make a trail. If you unravel your jacket, we can use the string to make a trail along any tunnels that we've already been through, and that way, we won't keep going in circles. Then, on our way back, we can remove the string and fulfill the same purpose, only backwards."

"Hm… That's actually a good idea. Well, can't hurt, I suppose. We'll try it. Do you have anything that could hold the string to the walls?"

"Kanda, Kanda, Kanda. You have much yet to learn about girls. A girl never goes anywhere without hairpins. I keep a stash in my belt pouches…" Upon seeing the look of skepticism on Kanda's face, she shrugged. "Hey! I gotta have my priorities straight!"

With that, she took out a pin, and took the end of Kanda's unraveling coat, tying it to the pin and jamming it into the earthen wall. She then walked forward with Kanda, more confidence now in her step. With her new plan, they began to make much more progress, and soon, they came into a magnificently lighted chamber that was bigger than anything they had ever seen. Apparently, all of the other tunnels led into this chamber as well, because there were other entrances all around the chamber, with a glowing patch of soil in the center, and a huge crop of ripe, fresh blueberries growing all around it. The room was warm enough for it to be late July, or early August, but the heat wasn't oppressive, or even tiring. It was the sort of day where you knew that you had to be outside, one of those rare days that were warm, but not humid, breezy, but not windy, and bright, but not blinding. All around them, there sounded animals such as birds, and other animals that could eat berries to survive. Unfortunately, they hadn't been the only ones to find this chamber.

"Bravo! We have now truly reached the climax of this particular performance. The play may be far from over, but you can nearly taste the end of this scene!" Came a jovial, yet somehow irritating voice. From far away, Lenalee stared in shock and rage as Allen stepped out and smiled politely at them. Behind his smile was but the smallest hint of regret, the tiniest morsel of remorse, though. For what, Lenalee didn't know. Perhaps he felt bad about what he was doing to the world. Perhaps he had a fight with one of the Noah Family. Or perhaps it was all an act to throw Kanda and Lenalee off. She wasn't going to let that happen, though. She instantly went on her guard, and Kanda drew his sword.

In less than the blink of an eye, Allen flashed across the blueberry field, not harming a single plant, and grabbed Kanda's sword, grimacing as he did so. For all of Allen's power, Innocence still hurt him whenever he touched it.

"Please…?" Allen said gently, looking up in a genuine show of sadness. "I don't really want to fight you. You may not believe me, but I do still care very much about everyone in the Order. I was saddened deeply to hear that Lavi was injured. Tyki Mikk was only supposed to destroy Lavi's Innocence. I'm afraid that he sometimes gets carried away," Allen said, sighing wistfully. "I suppose that all we Noahs are guilty of that flaw. Nobody is perfect, though. No, why I am really here is to ask if perhaps you could retrieve the Innocence for me. You see, as it is, the Innocence is active for as long as that man is living, and that Innocence is still buried. However, were one of you to dig it up, its effects would become dormant until the Innocence was united with its owner. That would be the right time for us to destroy it. If you do this small favor for me, I promise that neither of you will come to harm," Allen said with a smile, extending his hand diplomatically. Lenalee couldn't deny that Allen was very different from the Earl. The Earl wouldn't have thought twice about coercing the Exorcists' cooperation through the taking of a hostage, destroying the Innocence, and then killing the Exorcists on top of it.

"Of course, I would appreciate it if you would allow me to claim your Innocence, Lenalee. I won't force you, though."

"What will happen if I don't give you my Innocence willingly?" Lenalee asked suspiciously. Allen looked at her curiously for a moment, and then smiled, laughing slightly.

"Well, I guess in that case, you would leave here with your Innocence intact. No hard feelings, right?"

"It seems too easy. You only promised that _you_ wouldn't harm us. Who else is here?"

Allen advanced lightly on Lenalee and stroked her cheek with the gentlest of touches, almost as though his fingers were merely a light breeze, caressing her cheek. She shied away from him, though, and snarled at him.

"_Don't_ touch me!"

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that you're so suspicious of me. It kind of hurts my feelings. There are actually three people here right now," he said, pointing down at the spot upon which they were standing.

"Yeah? Who are they?"

"You, Kanda, and I…" Allen said, laughing at his own joke. Lenalee was slightly confused, though.

"You mentioned Kanda's name twice."

"No. I said _you_, not Yu. As in You, Lenalee. Not Yu Kanda. I would never call Kanda by his first name. Not after I saw what he did to Lavi when he did it. Whooee! I'd be too scared!" Allen said, smiling facetiously.

"Anyway, what do you say? Will you dig up the Innocence for me?"

"Over my dead body!" Kanda snarled, activating Mugen and attacking.

"First Illusion: Beasts of the Underworld!" He shouted, sending spectral monsters at Allen, who swatted them away as though they were nothing more than smoke, and then roundhouse kicked Kanda in the chest, sending him flying across the underground chamber, and into a wall. Instantly, Lenalee reacted, and kicked Allen in return, sending him flying up to the ceiling. He reversed his momentum, though, as he hit the ceiling, and flew back down at her, extending long claws of Dark Energy from his right hand and flinging a blade out of his sleeve and into his left hand. He then spun in midair and slashed at Lenalee with his claws and then again with his blade. The claws missed, but the blade managed to cut her arm, drawing some blood. Allen then smirked and landed gracefully, flashing forward and slicing at Lenalee again, this time cutting her face right under her chin, too close to her Carotid for comfort.

"You really are trying to kill us, aren't you?" Lenalee cried in rage and upset. Allen looked at her mockingly.

"Well, there wouldn't be much point if I wasn't, would there? I mean, you have these amazing weapons made of Innocence, and all I have are my hands and some two bit bowie knife. But, I see your point. Since you are old friends, I'll let you have one free shot each. Aim anywhere you like… If Kanda stabs me through the heart, given that his blade is made of Innocence, I'll likely go into suspended animation for at least a week, even after you pull it out. You could kill me here and now."

Lenalee sneered at him, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth, as they always said. She jumped up and kicked Allen in the face, sending his head jerking backwards. She heard a satisfying crack, which indicated that his neck had been snapped. So, she decided not to stop there, and she jumped back up and tried to finish the job with a dropkick. Allen grabbed her foot, though, and smashed her into the floor.

"I only said one free shot, Lenalee. Follow the rules, or don't play. Now it's Kanda's turn. Are you going to take a swing at me?"

_Shhf…_

"Already did, fool. Lenalee's second attack was just a distraction while I beheaded you. How long will that incapacitate you?"

Allen's head rolled off his body and thudded as it hit the ground, and soon, Allen's body followed suit, going limp even before it hit the ground. Dark Energy seeped out of the body through the neck, and Kanda and Lenalee looked down at the body. It was a bittersweet victory. Allen had been Lenalee's best friend, and first love, and no matter how much Kanda denied it, Allen had also been his friend. So, with much resisting the urge to cry, they both walked down toward the Innocence to salvage it. Even though Allen was gone, they still had their duties to fulfill. This would be a very merry Christmas for most of the Order, but a sad one for all of Allen's former friends.

As Kanda dug up the Innocence, Allen's body began to evaporate, leaving nothing but a thin mist behind, which quickly rose through the cracks in the ceiling and disappeared from the cave forever.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Christmas was always a festive time for everyone. People forgot any past differences, and joined together to sing songs, make merry, and eat until they puked. Of course, nobody did this better than General Cross Marion. This year, though, he wasn't hungry. He had decided to skip Christmas dinner, despite it having been cooked by Leverrier, Jerry, and Link, three of the greatest cooks of all time. Somehow, everyone was slightly cautious of Leverrier's food, but they ate it all the same, and needless to say, it was delicious. For Cross, though, even the promise of all of the world's finest wines, spirits, and liqueurs, the feast held no appeal for him. Once again, he had made a complete ass of himself before Klaud Nyne, and although this was nothing new, lately he found himself caring a lot more… More than he should have cared, anyhow. Cross looked at himself in the mirror. He saw a man who had been around the world, and slept with more women than there were countries, able to count at least five women from each country that he had slept with at least once.

All of those women seemed inconsequential, now, though. He only wanted to impress one woman. And that was Klaud Nyne. It had always annoyed him before that she was the only person who never fell to his charm. But now, it just made him want her more. It was, to speak biblically, like the fruit of the forbidden tree. Usually, he could just forget about any woman who rejected him, considering it a single failure in a string of many successes. It had only ever been a game to him. Bed a woman and move on. The longer the game lasted, the more fun he had. That was one of the reasons that he was so notorious all over the world… With fathers especially, when he would sleep with their daughters. Needless to say, he had angered a lot of people, and had made friends with precious few.

Meanwhile, the party went on without Cross. Very few people even noticed that he wasn't there… In fact, nobody but Klaud Nyne noticed. She was playing Chess with Lou Fa, who had finally been transferred to Main HQ, although it was rather bittersweet for her as well, given that Allen wasn't there anymore. But apart from all that, Klaud Nyne looked up for a moment, neglecting the Chess board and looking around. It was somehow much quieter than it should have been. She had been to a lot of Christmas parties at HQ, and any party that Cross attended automatically was much louder and more boisterous. This led her to wonder if maybe Cross had already passed out, drunk. She looked cautiously at Lou Fa, and leaned over the Chess board, careful not to disturb any of the pieces.

"Lou Fa, have you seen General Cross lately?" She whispered, only loud enough for the diminutive Science department girl to hear her. Lou Fa thought for a moment, and shook her head.

"N-not recently…" She said nervously, blushing heavily. She didn't really like Cross that much. He always kind of upset her. He never passed up a chance to tease her about her having a crush on the Millennium Earl. To her, though, no matter what Allen ever did, he would always still be Allen. She didn't approve of his choices, and she knew that the Order had to kill him, lest the world be dominated by vampires. Still, she couldn't get him out of her head.

"It's alright, Lou Fa…" Klaud Nyne said gently, seeing the tears in the girl's eyes. "I know that Cross can be rather crass and even cruel at times, but I don't really think that he intends to hurt anyone… Most of the time," she added, a slight flicker of annoyance making its way onto her face. She pulled Lou Fa into a hug, and Lou Fa just stayed there for a moment, before pushing Klaud Nyne off of her and standing up. She mumbled an apology and shuffled out of the dining hall, much to the surprise of her friends in the Science Department. Klaud Nyne also stood up and walked over to General Tiedol, hoping to get a little bit of information from him. When Tiedol said that Cross had said he wouldn't be joining them at the party, Klaud Nyne's heart nearly stopped. General Cross Marion would never pass up a chance to party, to be with women, and to drink and eat until he passed out.

With that, she walked off purposefully toward Cross's room. Even as she was headed there, though, Lou Fa was in her room, writing in her diary, which she kept meticulously.

December 25, 1892

_Dear Diary,_

_I know that my fondest dream had always been to be transferred to Main HQ. Now, though, I'm not so sure that I want to stay. Everyone and everything here reminds me of Allen. Everyone who operates out of this place knows Allen better than I do, and whenever I try to ask them about him, they get quiet, like it was wrong of me to ask in the first place. I never understood why everyone was so hesitant to talk about him until I snuck into the archives and found his records. In it, it was stated that before the first war ended, he was being investigated by the Church due to his supposed involvement with the Fourteenth, a Noah who once betrayed the Earl and is now deceased. Even the records seemed hesitant to elaborate, and it leads me to wonder what made them suspicious in the first place. Even though I'm dying to know what happened, I'm afraid of finding out too much, for several reasons. The main reason of course is that if the Order suspects me of looking into things I'm not supposed to be, then I could get in a lot of trouble, too. I've seen firsthand what the Order does to traitors, and I've seen the lengths to which they are willing to go in order to win a war. But beyond that, I've already realized, much to my chagrin, that the cheerful, and strong Allen Walker that I thought I knew was nothing more than a happy façade. My fantasies of him are crumbling before my very eyes, and I'm helpless to stop it. Every day, I feel like the Order is getting colder and colder, and that everyone is becoming more distant. I can feel the ice that builds up every time Allen's name is mentioned. Apparently, he was very important to everyone here. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm suffocating under the weight of my own inadequacy. Slowly, I'm realizing how weak and pathetic I really am. I thought that I knew Allen, but I didn't know the first thing about him. What else don't I know? What else is hidden from me in plain view? Is the rest of the Order laughing behind my back while I blunder around, trying to pick up the shattered fragments of my life, praying that I won't cut myself or drop any pieces and break it beyond repair?_

_ I'm sorry that I can't write more, but my hands are shaking too much right now to write coherently, and even more, I'm afraid of my own thoughts. I can no longer bear to write them down, thereby forcing myself to acknowledge them. I know what a bloody coward I am, and I'm ashamed to say that I'm satisfied to be one for now. I don't know when I'll write again. Hopefully I'll make it through this war with my sanity intact._

_Woeful regards_

_Lou Fa_

As she shut her diary, Lou Fa finally stopped forcing herself to remain steady, and began to sob freely and in earnest. Everything that she thought she knew was in shreds, and it was all her own fault. Had she seen Allen's problems beforehand, maybe she could have helped him. Maybe she could have saved him from his most horrible fate.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Cross "Sex Machine" Marion! Come in!" Cross said with a smirk, although he wasn't feeling quite so arrogantly confident that night. After a moment, the door opened, and Klaud Nyne walked in. She saw him lying on his bed, his hair askew, his clothes wrinkled and his eyes with dark shadows under them.

"You know, Cross, you really hurt Lou Fa's feelings when you tease her. She was almost in tears tonight. I know that nothing I say will change who you are, the most arrogant, selfish, capricious, and greedy bastard I've ever met. But at least let up a little bit with her. She's changed a lot since she got here, and not for the better. She's been losing weight, she has dark shadows under her eyes, her hair is always a mess, and her mind is constantly wandering. She's becoming a danger to herself and everyone around her, and you're not helping things one bit! I know you've never cared about anyone but yourself in the past, but please! Please! Stop tormenting her!"

"Alright. I'll apologize to her tomorrow. But you shouldn't miss the party on my account. I just don't feel well tonight," Cross said. Klaud Nyne raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Were they out of your preferred brand of wine at the liquor store?" She teased. He shook his head briefly.

"No. Just a bad case of the May Melancholies," he lied.

"But it's December."

"Not on the Moon. On the moon, it would be May, almost June. That means I should be feeling better any day, now."

"You know, lying is very unbecoming, even from you."

"Well, if I told you, you would laugh at me."

"I never found you to be very funny, despite what you think of yourself."

"I love you."

For a moment, Klaud Nyne said nothing, but then she took a deep breath, as if to steady herself.

"That's not funny, so much as it is ironic."

"I never thought it was funny. I merely said that I assumed that you _would_ think it was funny. But what do you mean by ironic?"

"Well, your supposed natural charm, you seem to fall in love with the one woman who never liked you…"

"Oh, that. Well, I suppose that would be kind of ironic."

Ironic didn't even begin to cover it, but Klaud Nyne let that go for the moment, and continued to talk.

"Even more ironically, I think that I may have fallen in love with you as well. It's been annoying the hell out of me for weeks, but I can't stop thinking about you."

Now it was Cross's turn to be stunned. Klaud Nyne was always a nice woman, but she seemed to hate Cross with a passion. Even though she rarely showed it, it had always seemed obvious to Cross that she hated him. That was why this went against everything that he believed about her. Who was he to complain though? Especially as she drew closer to him and sat down on the bed next to him, kissing him gently, and receiving a kiss in return.

"What was that for?" Cross asked with a sheepish grin.

"We passed under the mistletoe earlier," she said with a small laugh. Normally, she wouldn't act this way. Actually, she wasn't even sure why she was this time. Perhaps Cross had finally gotten to her. Was he just stringing her on? Was he going to fuck her and then leave her like he did with every other woman that he had ever been with? She wouldn't want to think so. But he had always been a selfish person, and impossible to read. Her mind was screaming out against her doing this, but her heart was telling her to keep going. It was a strange situation to say the least. Nothing she couldn't figure out, though, given time.

"L-let's go back to the party!" Klaud Nyne said a little bit louder than she had meant to. Cross had apparently been lost in his own thoughts at the moment, because he shook his head, blinked a few times and nodded stupidly. She grabbed his hand and pulled him off of his bed. Despite his headache, he followed her faithfully down to the party, and ended up having a good time, despite himself.

In Lou Fa's quiet and dark room, she finally managed to fall asleep, still crying. Her sleep didn't give her respite from her fears, though. Just like almost every other night, Allen visited her, and spoke to her… Spoke cruel, unthinkable things to her.

_Why didn't you help me, Lou Fa? Didn't you hear me crying? Didn't you hear me asking you for help? I begged, I pleaded with you to save me. Did you not care, or did you perhaps not want to hear me. Was the person that you made me out to be too good to admit that I could be anyone else? I needed you, Lou Fa, and you abandoned me…_

Those same words, he said over and over, and each time Lou Fa denied the truth of them, the more sense they seemed to make. She had ignored him. She had pretended that he was something he wasn't, and blinded herself to the truth. She couldn't stand it anymore. She couldn't do anything about it. Only in death could she atone for what she had done. She tried to remember when her insanity had begun to sink in. It had probably been when she found out that Allen had become a vampire. That had set her off, and begun a slow, painful descent into madness for her.

With a start, Lou Fa awoke, tears flooding her eyes and a cold sweat covering her body, soaking her clothes and her bed sheets. She was normally a very organized and methodical person, but she had fallen asleep with her clothes, including her lab coat, and her glasses on. She hadn't undone her braids, and now, there were hairs sticking out every which way, her glasses were askew, and her clothes were wrinkled and sweaty. She groaned and turned on the light, looking at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot and she could smell alcohol on her own breath. She barely remembered the previous night. All she remembered were little flashes of the night. She wasn't sure if she wanted to remember anymore, though. Her memories were becoming more and more painful.

Slowly, her eyes fell on the box cutter that she had borrowed from Lenalee to open a package that had been sent to her. It suddenly seemed like the most beautiful thing in the world, its razor sharp edge and gleaming metal blade. She reached down for her diary. If she was going to go out, she at least had to say goodbye to her diary, even if nobody else would ever know.

December 26th, 1892

_Dear Diary,_

_ This is going to be my last entry. I can no longer stand the knowledge that Allen's fall from grace was my fault. I know now that the best thing that I can do for myself and everyone around me is to die with dignity. At least then, I won't be a burden anymore. I wish that I could say goodbye to my friends in the science department, and the other exorcists, even Mr. Kanda, but it would be too sad, and I can't afford to change my mind. This is goodbye, and if anyone ever does read this, I want them to know that I'm sorry that I'm such a fool, and that I never meant to hurt anyone._

_A fond farewell,_

_Lou Fa_

With that, she dumped the diary on the bureau, and picked up the box cutter, bringing it to her small wrist, and pressing it against it, drawing at first only a small bead of crimson red blood. Giggling weakly at the pain, she drew the blade across her wrist, cutting herself deeply, gasping in white hot, yet exquisite agony as blood splattered on her bed and on the sleeve of her coat. She then moved to her other wrist and did the same, after which she dropped the box cutter and allowed it to clatter to the floor before silently resigning herself to her grim fate. Even as the blood drained from her body, she could feel herself getting weaker, and an ill sensation in her stomach. Soon, she began to shiver violently, and the pounding of her heart began to sound in her ear, deafening her to the outside world. Finally, as she felt the last vestiges of her strength leaving her, she began to hear voices, and see blurry shapes around her. She smiled, then. The angels must have been coming to take her away. Maybe she had made it into heaven after all.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"Ugh! My head hurts!" Allen said quietly as he sat up in his bed and felt his forehead. He looked around blearily and sighed when he saw that Road was there.

"Well, I'm not surprised, Allen. You did get yourself decapitated. Unfortunately, by the time I got there, you had already evaporated, and there was little that I could do. The exorcists bonded the Innocence with its accommodator, and are training him, now to use it properly."

"I see. Oh well. It all fits within the contingency. One more Innocence or ten won't matter. The Noah are more powerful than ever, and we don't need the Akuma to fuel our abilities anymore. How are the other Noah doing, though?"

"They're all fine. You've been gone for almost a week, and we haven't really had much to do, save for bringing people over to our cause."

"And, how have you done with that?"

"Well, you know… The job bites, and the benefits suck," Road said with a giggle, just as Lulubell and Artemis came in.

"Oh. How are you two doing?" Allen asked politely, looking at Artemis and Lulubell, and then back to Road.

"We were doing fine until Little Miss Quinticentennial here started making such bad puns…" Artemis said irritably. Road looked at her and smiled.

"I'm sorry. Little Miss what?" Road asked, looking irately at Artemis.

"Quinticentennial. If bicentennial means two hundred years, and quadricentennial means four hundred, then quinticentennial means five hundred years. I'm merely remarking on the fact that you're an old hag…"

"Well, at least I didn't lose to some two-bit Exorcist…" Road said with a wide grin and a chortling laugh that was bound to annoy the hell out of Artemis.

"What the hell! Allen lost to the same exorcist that I did! By that logic, he shouldn't be in the Noah Clan either!" Artemis complained. Allen merely smiled and looked at her. His smile wasn't as condescending as Road's, but rather, slightly amused.

"She does have a point, Road. Kanda really caught me off guard, and those two are smarter than I gave them credit for being. The Exorcists are becoming more powerful, and their Innocence are evolving. Kanda's has not yet evolved, however, an intense and prolonged battle could just be the catalyst for such a change. Therefore, in the future, we must all be careful around him. I sense something strange about him that I did not before. It merits further investigation. Lulubell… You can transform, right?"

"Indeed I can. However, I don't think that I could impersonate a member of the Order very well."

"Don't care," Allen said dismissively, perhaps a little bit more quickly than he had meant to. "Klaud Nyne, an Exorcist General, loves animals, given that she used to be a circus trainer. Take your cat form, and endear yourself to her. Hopefully, she'll mark you as a stray, and take you back to the Order with her. After that, follow Yu Kanda under the pretense that you have grown fond of him. I never found that cats liked me that much, but perhaps Kanda's solitary personality is more suited towards a cat. After you've discovered what's going on with Kanda, find a way to escape, and return with the information."

"I understand, Lord Walker…" she said, bowing deferentially. Allen smiled sheepishly and waved his hands in front of his face.

"Just call me Allen… Didn't you call the Earl by his first name? You all seemed so close."

"Nobody called the Earl by his first name. Even the well to do members of the upper crust of society that supported the Earl's operation knew him as Lord Earl, or just The Earl." Wisely said blankly.

"Well, that should change, because being called Lord Walker sounds really weird. What did the Earl call all of you?"

"What he called us varied based on his mood, and his unique relationship with each of us. He always seemed to care about Road the most, and he called her Road. Sometimes, he called me Cyril, and sometimes he called me Lord Kamelot, depending on his mood, and whether we were at a formal occasion or not. To be honest, there was little rhyme or reason to when and why the Earl called us what he did, which makes this whole long speech that I just gave on the subject a complete waste of your time, which was, of course, my original point. After all, you know what they say. Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer, Lord Walker," Cyril said with a wide grin, bowing to Allen facetiously. At this, all of the other Noahs laughed, and eventually, even Allen joined in. Lulubell remained the only one who stayed completely taciturn. She scowled at Cyril, and when, after a while, the laughing didn't stop, she burst out.

"How can you join in their laughing at you, Lord Allen! And you! Why are you being so disrespectful!" She shouted. Allen stopped and stared at Lulubell for a moment, and then smiled apologetically.

"What do you mean? That was hilarious. He really had me going for a minute…"

"Besides, what Allen asked really was stupid…" Cyril said, causing the other Noahs to look at him. "He's trying to compare and contrast himself to the Earl, with whom he shares almost nothing in common. It's like trying to compare apples and oranges. You just can't do it. The Earl was over 7,000 years old, whereas Allen has a mere 16 winters under his belt…"

"Oh, c'mon Dad… Give Allen a break… You know he's doing his best…" Road said, poking Cyril's forehead. "Allen is too different in personality than the Earl to properly compare. We all get that. No need to rub it in his face."

"Thank you, Road. Now, Lulubell. When you get to the Order, could you drop this in with the mail? There's a certain scientist that I need to… talk to."

Lulubell took the envelope and looked at the name on it, arching an eyebrow at Allen. Allen looked at her innocently and smiled.

"Who is Lou Fa?"

"Lou Fa? You mean that nutjob scientist that tried to exorcise me!" Road yelled, falling over laughing. "I don't think you'll get anything useful out of her, Allen."

"You may be right, but I hear that she's in a fragile emotional state right now. Apparently, my betrayal struck her harder than any in the Order thought. I feel that with the right… push, I could convince her to give us important information. After I've extracted the useful information from her, I promise that you can kill her personally, however you want, Road." Allen said with a snicker. The rest of the Noah Clan was looking at him oddly by the time he was done. It was extremely unusual for Allen to act so manipulatively, but for him to even consider using seduction as a method of getting information… That was more up Cyril's alley… Then again, Cyril probably would have seduced the woman whether or not he wanted information… Ahem… But back on point, Allen never said directly that this was what he planned to do, but it was fairly obvious from what he and Road had said collectively. Regardless, Cyril found himself feeling a newfound interest in Allen, and the others didn't really care to argue, feeling that if Allen thought it would work, then it would.

"H-huh? Wow… What a strange dream I had…" Lou Fa said quietly, sitting up in bed and putting a hand over her forehead, almost immediately pulling it away.

"Oh my God! I'm burning up!" She cried. "And I'm going blind! My glasses aren't strong enough anymore! Wait! Where are my glasses!" She yelped, clutching her bare face, and then feeling all over the bed, moving her hand to the table next to her. She slid her hand around in panic. She didn't feel the glasses though. In the next moment, a person unknown to her ran over to her bedside. The person gently, but forcefully put a hand on Lou Fa's shoulder, calming her down almost instantly. The person then looked down and noticed her glasses.

"Lou Fa… The bleeding stopped, but you shouldn't move your wrists. I bandaged them, but you need to be careful."

"Yeah, yeah! What about my glasses!" Lou Fa pleaded. The person sighed and shook their head.

"I'm afraid your glasses got crushed in the upset when we found you in your room."

"Well…" the scientist said, giggling weakly. "It's not the worst thing that could have happened, I suppose. I could have lived…" (A/N: I know, it's a morbid joke, but it's the best I can do with this particular scene. Feel free to berate me for it later.)

"I see you haven't lost your sense of humor. That's a good sign, dear."

"Where's my diary! Nobody read it, did they!" Lou Fa yelled, grabbing the person by what she assumed was the shirt.

"Of course not, dear. We only read the last two entries. They were written within hours of each other, weren't they?"

"You… y-you must think I'm pretty pathetic, don't you?" Lou Fa said, no longer bothering to hide her tears. They began to flow freely down her cheeks. For a moment, the two stayed like this, but in the next, the nurse grabbed Lou Fa and clutched her in a close hug.

"You're not pathetic. You mustn't think like that. You can't give up. I know that it hurts when someone you love betrays you. But Allen isn't really gone, anyhow. He's just stumbled on his own path. He needs to be set straight. Perhaps you're the one who'll be able to do that…" the nurse said. For a moment, Lou Fa pondered the nurse's words. She then looked at the nurse, trying to remember when she had ever seen this particular person before.

"I… Don't recall ever meeting you before. Are you new?"

"Oh, yes. It seems the Order required a new nurse when the old one fell ill. We aren't yet sure what she has, but every possible action is being taken to assure that she recovers. Excuse me for a moment… Kanda! How many times must I tell you to remain in bed!"

"I'm completely healed. I don't need to be in bed anymore."

"You only got back from your mission yesterday, and you were covered in blood! You're not healed!"

"Let me go…" Kanda said in his usual deadpan voice.

"Get back in bed…" The nurse then said dangerously. Kanda gulped when he saw her face and stalked back to his bed, sitting down.

"Aw! Whose kitty cat is this!" Lou Fa cried, running over and grabbing a black cat with a silver star on its forehead. The cat meowed loudly as it was picked up by Lou Fa, and glared at the girl furiously as she petted it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" Kanda said uninterestedly.

"Why not?

*SLASH!*

"EEEKK!" Lou Fa yelped, and threw the cat off of her as it scratched her, leaving a long set of claw marks right across her face. Lou Fa's hand went right up to her face, and then pulled away. Upon seeing the blood on her hand, she nearly fainted all over again. Kanda sighed and pulled a little thing of cream out of his pocket and threw it at Lou Fa, who barely managed to catch it.

"Put it on the cuts. They'll heal over. It won't work on your wrists. The cuts are too deep, but it's fine for minor scratches."

"Th-thank you… When did you become so nice?"

"None of your business."

"Oh, Lou Fa. You have mail…" the nurse said with a smile, handing a small letter that had no return address on it. Lou Fa looked at it suspiciously, and sniffed it, although she wasn't sure why. She held it up in front of her face and stared at it for a moment before putting it down and ripping it open.

"I don't understand who would be sending me mail. My whole family was killed by the Akuma…" Lou Fa said with a weak laugh. She then turned to the letter and read.

_Dear Lou Fa,_

_I fear that our last meeting may not have gone as well as it could have. I was a little suspicious of everyone at the time, and afraid to trust a member of the Order, even if that member was you. I never really got to properly apologize. Perhaps you could meet me for lunch at the Pendulum Street Café on the 6__th__ of January. I'll be waiting there at high noon._

_Love,_

_ Well… see you then._

Lou Fa gasped, nearly fainting again. Allen wanted to meet her for lunch at a café. Was it a date? Had he broken up with Road? What was going on? Perhaps they had been wrong about Allen being the new Earl. She had to at least meet him. It would be in a public place, so she wouldn't be in any danger, right?

"Excuse me. What day is today?"

"The sixth of January. Sadly, you missed the New Year celebration."

"W-what time is it!"

"11:00 am…" the nurse said, raising an eyebrow. Lou Fa yelped and grabbed her shoes, running out of the infirmary before the nurse had a chance to stop her. Even though Lou Fa couldn't see distances, she could see well enough to get back to her room, where she had a second pair of glasses. She had learned long ago, being the clumsiest girl in her college (for she had graduated high school at age 11) that she always needed a second pair. She grabbed a mirror and looked at her hair, groaning. She needed to make it look nice. Road's hair looked so perfect that time that she saw her. Why couldn't her own hair be so beautiful? She sneered in the mirror and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, hoping that it would be cute enough to grab Allen's attention.

"ALLEN! I DON'T LIKE THIS! I HATE IT! I HATE IT! I HATE IT!" Road cried angrily, stomping up and down like a small child throwing a temper tantrum. Road had been at it all morning, complaining about Allen's "date" with Lou Fa. He had calmly explained to her that she didn't really mean anything to him, and that he was merely attempting to get information. Road didn't want to hear it, though. She asked him why he couldn't just torture her for info.

"Well, that would just be cruel!" Allen responded with a bright grin, causing Tyki and Road both to sweatdrop.

"And seducing her like this isn't cruel, Allen?" Tyki asked with a raised eyebrow. Allen shrugged.

"Depends on your definition. I get the feeling that she wanted me to notice her affections for me for a while, now. So, one could argue that what I'm doing is beneficial for both of us. She gets a date with me, and I get information on the Order."

"That's pretty twisted, Allen… Even for you," Tyki said dully. Allen just laughed, though, and finished buttoning up his vest and putting on his gloves. If he was going to go on a date, he had to look nice, at least, he did if he was going to make it convincing.

"And Road… I promise, I'll give you my whole evening, and tomorrow as well if you like. Just please don't destroy anything while I'm gone."

"What do you think I am! A child!"

"…"

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Lou Fa said nervously, checking her watch. She hit her skirt a few times, and brushed off her top, trying to smooth it out. She felt strange in the clothes that she was wearing, rather than the usual black skirt and comfortable cotton shirt that she wore under her lab coat. Instead, today, she was wearing a low cut shirt, that unfortunately couldn't show off what wasn't there (she had always been embarrassed about how small her breasts were). She didn't have time to worry about that, though. She just had to hope that Allen had a fetish for extremely svelte women such as herself… And given Allen's former fondness for Road, she would have to say that he probably did.

Just as she had finally managed to calm down and take a deep breath, Allen walked into the café, and set her heart rate soaring again. She gasped for breath as he looked over at her table, and the waiter nodded, bowing as he walked over. Allen greeted the hyperventilating Lou Fa politely, sitting down and smiling at her. Soon, his politeness turned to concern, though, as Lou Fa's face started to turn red, and she began to sweat profusely.

"Can we get some water over here!" Allen called urgently. A waiter nodded and filled a glass with tap water, running over to the table and setting it down.

"It's alright, Lou Fa. Take a deep breath and drink this…" he said, dropping a small tablet into the water that made it bubble and fizz. Allen was sure that Lou Fa would be a little bit nervous, although he never meant to make her this upset. She breathed in deeply, and then breathed out, then in again, then out again. She then grabbed the water and gulped it down in a few short seconds, gasping for air when she finished.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Walker!" Lou Fa cried. Allen put a gentle hand on her shoulder, though, and calmed her down slowly.

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. And please call me Allen. I'm not even close to being old enough to be a Mr."

"I-I guess… Hehehe…" Lou Fa giggled weakly.

"Anyway, like my letter said, I feel bad about what happened that day. Road can be a little bit childish sometimes. Sometimes we don't agree on how to handle things. She means well, though… Usually." Allen added at the end with an apologetic tone.

"It's alright. I probably would have laughed at me too. I can be a real idiot, sometimes…"

"You're not an idiot, Lou Fa. You're extremely smart. The Noah Clan is beyond the comprehension of even the most brilliant minds. That's actually what I came to talk with you about. I know that I've done some terrible things lately, and I have no excuse. I would probably be lucky if they sentenced me to death. But… I can't go on like this, anymore. That isn't me. Is everyone at HQ doing alright?" Allen asked nervously, biting his nails. With his extra sharp teeth, he chewed right through his gloves, and his fingertips began to bleed almost instantly.

"Mr… Allen! Please stop! You're bleeding!" Lou Fa cried, plunging her hand into her pocket and pulling out the tube that Kanda gave her, and taking Allen's hand in both of hers. She then began to gently apply the styptic to his fingertips, which stopped the bleeding almost instantly. Allen smiled at her sadly.

"I need your help, Lou Fa. I know that it's too late for me to leave, but I need to feel like I've at least tried to atone before I die. Before I knew it, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I just need one more chance to talk to you before it's over. Do you think we could head to my old house? I've already made sure that nobody can disturb us. I-I understand if you don't want to, but…"

"Of course I will, Allen! I'll help in any way I can."

Later, in Allen's house, with the barrier around the house up, making it completely invisible to everyone on the outside, Allen looked across the table at Lou Fa, and Lou Fa looked back, white lights bursting before her eyes.

"Lou Fa? I-is it alright if I kiss you?" Allen asked quietly, blushing at just the right moment to make his act all the more believable. Lou Fa nodded numbly and Allen walked over to her, taking her in a gentle embrace, and kissing her sweetly on the lips. Lou Fa gasped as he did so. This was her first kiss. She never guessed that it would actually be with Allen. His fingers ghosted over her cheek as he pulled away, and he smiled at her again, his eyes half-lidded. He took her glasses gently off her nose and poked it teasingly. Allen was about to speak, but Lou Fa, seeming to anticipate his question, spoke first.

"I'll do anything if it's with you." She breathed, eyes wide with wonder at how she could possibly have gotten so lucky. Maybe this was all just a dream. Maybe she was still dying on the floor of her room, and her last wish was being lived out through a dream. But then, Allen's hand went slowly up the back of her shirt, causing an explosion of sensation over her bare flesh, and she knew that it could not possibly be a dream.

Allen kissed her more passionately this time, and Lou Fa began to clumsily fumble with the buttons on his vest to undo them, and then with the tie around his neck. Allen saw this, and laughed, not at her, but at how cute she was. He had to admit, even though he loved Road, this wasn't so bad. She was just too cute, and innocent, squeaking and gasping at his every touch as he pulled her low rise blouse over her head, revealing her bra. She gasped and tried to cover herself, but Allen stopped her.

"It's alright. I think they're perfect…" Allen said soothingly, removing her bra and letting her breasts show completely.

"See? Perfect…" he said with a smile, taking one in his hand and gently squeezing it, causing Lou Fa to gasp erotically as he touched and fondled it. As he did that, Lou Fa removed his white shirt, revealing his smooth, flat chest, which she stroked gently, her gentle fingers raking over him even as his fingers fondled and caressed her. Slowly, so slowly, they fell to the floor, as Allen helped Lou Fa's skirt down around her ankles, and touched her pussy through the fabric of her panties, causing Lou Fa to yelp in shock and unexpected pleasure. She had never felt a sensation like that. Many a night, she masturbated while thinking about such a scenario, but the pleasure had never been so intense as it was now. As he rubbed his two fingers back and forth, she felt herself getting closer and closer to amazing, mind numbing climax. Just as she was about to burst, though, he stopped, pulling his fingers away. She looked at him curiously, trying to pull his hand back, but he easily resisted, grinning at her.

"You have to tell me what you want, dear…" Allen whispered sensually, blowing warm breath behind her ear, causing her breath to hitch in her throat.

"Please! M-make me cum!" she begged. He smiled and nodded, going back to touching her pussy until she exploded all over his hand. He then got on top of her, positioning himself at her entrance, looking at her as if to ask permission. She nodded in agreement, and he thrust into her, moving past her barrier in one move. She yelped in pain, but soon, her eyes clouded over, displaying a pleasure that she never knew was possible. As Allen thrust in and out, using his bountiful Dark Energy to enhance her experience, she screamed and cried out his name, hardly able to speak coherently.

"This… Is… A-amazing!" She cried as he thrust in and out of her… After a while of doing this, they both came together, and Lou Fa fell limp under Allen's strong but gentle touch. Allen then leaned down and kissed her on the lips. As she fell asleep, he carefully extricated himself from her and went over to the table and started writing. He couldn't stay long, but he needed to explain to her what was going to happen next. He found that people who were confused tended to do stupid things, like blab their secrets to the wrong people.

_Dear Lou Fa,_

_Whenever you get this message, I pray that you do not take it to mean that I have abandoned you, for that is the last thing that I would do. For right now, I need you to go back to the Order and act as though nothing has happened. You met an old elementary school friend for lunch, and then went your separate ways. The closed minded members of the Black Order wouldn't be able to handle the truth, and I wouldn't want you to get in trouble before I could come to get you. I promise that I will come to call for you with another note, giving you another location at which to meet me. I don't know when that will happen, but when it does, I will be glad to see you again. Please burn this note after reading it._

_Love_

_Allen_

(A/N: I didn't make the lemon scene very long, and compared to the rest of the chapter, it must seem downright insignificant. It's true that I probably could have taken it out completely without much ill effect on the story, but, I ended up writing it for several reasons. One reason of course was that I wanted to show Lou Fa's blind willingness to believe Allen, and her loyalty to him, and on a more personal note, and perhaps a more perverted one, I like writing lemons, and I've written several AllenxRoad, one or two AllenxLenalee, but no AllenxLou Fa lemons.)

(P.S. I know that the fanfic is getting somewhat obscenely long, especially considering that it is the longest fanfic I have ever written, and it isn't even finished. Therefore, I understand if you want to drop out now, although if you want to find out the ending, read the next chapter. If you don't, and want to keep reading, skip the next chapter, and continue with the story. I will understand either way.)


	19. Chapter 19

Spoiler Chapter

(If you have reached this chapter through a slip of the hand, and do not actually want to know the ending, I suggest that you move on post haste.

Okay. I lied. Yes, I did this just to piss you all off. If it worked on even one of you, then this pat on the back that I'm giving myself will be totally well earned. Furthermore, if any of you actually have a good sense of humor, and find this hilarious, then so much the better.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Nineteen

Lou Fa whistled cheerfully as she hefted a large cardboard box and began carrying it across the room. Something was strange about Lou Fa, and everyone noticed it. She was somehow even more cheerful than she should have been, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, given that she had tried to commit suicide. Reever was more than a little bit concerned, though. She had gone out the previous day, and came back late at night, with a barely acceptable reason for what she was doing. She said that she was meeting an old friend, which was in a way true. She did consider Allen her friend. Several times, she noticed several people staring at her, and she looked up with a politely questioning look. Finally, Reever pulled her aside.

"Lou Fa, are you alright?" he asked, staring hard at her. She nodded cheerfully, and went to get back to work. Reever stopped her, though.

"Just a week ago, you could barely lift your head up, and now you act like Christmas came early for you!"

"Well, I talked to a friend yesterday over lunch, so I feel a little bit better."

"And about that. Who is this friend! I thought you were from China…"

"Well, yes, I am. That doesn't mean I don't have friends in other countries."

"But none of the scientists ever leave HQ!"

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Lou Fa asked teasingly, putting a finger on Reever's lower lip, causing him to back away and blush heavily.

"I'm your boss! That would be completely inappropriate!"

"I see. Well then… There's no problem. I actually had a weird idea while talking to my friend yesterday, and I want to test it."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I want to try to make a solution that will increase intelligence in the imbiber."

"Well, that would be impressive, but… how would it help the Order?"

"Well, think what a powerful force we would be with an army of exorcists with superhuman intelligence. Of course, I could instead try to make it increase strength, or speed, or enhance the senses. Each of the formulas would have to affect a different part of the brain. Humans are said to only use about 10% of their brain, so if we could stimulate superhuman levels of activity in the brain, there are nearly limitless possibilities. Of course, all of them could potentially be deadly, even if they were to succeed."

"But there are already drugs to stimulate above average increases in strength. They're called steroids."

"No! These formulae would not be used to artificially increase hormone production. Instead, they would stimulate activity in the brain that controls strength. Like I said, it's potentially dangerous, even deadly, but wouldn't it be amazing if we could create an army of supersoldiers!" Lou Fa said excitedly, an intensity as hot as fire burning in her eyes. For a moment, Reever was speechless, but then he managed to find his voice, and he spoke.

"Are you sure you're well enough to work? The Lou Fa that I know would never suggest such a dangerous project," he said with no small amount of poorly concealed distaste, and discomfort.

"Perhaps you should get some rest and come back to work tomorrow," Reever said, staring down at Lou Fa in disbelief. He had never once seen her as a person who would toy with human lives. She had been so offended and outraged when she learned about the human/akuma hybrid experiments. It was almost as though she was personally ashamed to work for an organization that would do such a thing. Now, she was ready to do experimentation on humans on a whim. It was so… capricious, even cruel. Totally not like her. Something had to be wrong. As soon as she was out of sight, he followed her. Normally, he wasn't one to involve himself in his subordinates' lives, but this seemed important. As he was about to reach her door, though, he was stopped by Komui, who looked at Lou Fa's door, and then at Reever, raising an eyebrow.

"Have we… developed a bit of a stalker complex?" Komui asked, leaning in toward Reever, who smiled apologetically.

"Actually, Lou Fa seemed to be feeling unwell today, rather delirious. I was worried, and wanted to make sure she got back to her room safely."

"Well, I just saw her walk in, so unless what I saw was an illusion, I think she's fairly safe."

"Okay… Supervisor, d-do you think you can keep a secret? Perhaps we can talk in your office?"

"Well, Link and Leverrier are in there right now. They wanted to see the original letter of recommendation that Cross sent to the Order for Allen. Honestly, I think it's ridiculous, but whatever. Perhaps we can use the conference room."

"I've discovered the location of the next Wrath of Noah. He lives in a psychiatric hospital in…"

"Wait, he lives where, now?"

"I was just about to get to that. He lives right here in England."

"No, no… You said he lives in a loony bin!" Road shouted. She was already irritated about Allen sleeping with Lou Fa.

"It felt good to sleep with her, didn't it!" Road shrieked suddenly, throwing her hands in the air. "She was a virgin, wasn't she! I bet you two got it up all night, didn't you! Were her breasts larger than mine! I bet she wore glasses, and has a really cute voice!" Road screamed, heedless of the other Noahs in the room. Allen sighed. He had been over this a dozen times with her.

"She was really inexperienced. It wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be. I already began to corrupt her mind with my Dark Energy, but if I don't continue the process soon, she may… regress."

"And right now, you're _di_gressing!" Road said. Answer my other questions, dammit!"

"Fine. We only had sex once before she passed out. She's a scientist, so she has little stamina. Her breasts were small. She was almost flat chested. I almost felt bad having sex with her, like I was having sex with a child. It was kind of weird. She does wear glasses, and her voice is almost half as cute as yours."

"Tell me exactly what happened! Every damn fucking step!" Road yelled hysterically, jumping up and down and screaming like a rampaging chimpanzee.

"This'll take some time. Could you please give us a little privacy?" Allen asked, looking at the other Noahs apologetically. They all sighed unanimously, all aware of Road's ability to throw temper tantrums. This was fairly light, though. One time, when she threw a tantrum, the Earl ended up having to rebuild half the ark because Road melted it with her reality bending ability. None of them had been alive back then, of course. Road was still only 50 at the time, but the Earl described her as being almost as terrifying as a level 5 Akuma. None of the newer Noahs had ever seen a level 5, but the Earl had shown them a video of the event. The Akuma killed twenty exorcists with its scream alone, and then nearly destroyed all of Istanbul in half an hour. Apparently, even Road became sick to her stomach.

"Listen, Road. I'm sorry that I slept with her, but it was the easiest way to read her mind, and inject small amounts of Dark Matter into her body. Her mind should now be warped slightly, and more amenable toward our own ends. Right now, she should be at Exorcist HQ, seething with anger that the rest of the science department isn't accepting her ideas, or I suppose that I should say my ideas."

"Fine… That's good enough for now, but I want to meet this Lou Fa chick!"

"Fair enough. Do it a week from now. We don't want to do it too soon; else Lou Fa might not be far enough along in her… transformation. Be careful not to be seen. For now, let us simply find the new Wrath of Noah."

"Of course. Let's go…" Road said, opening a gate to Istanbul, just as Allen had said."

"Wow. I've never actually been to the Ottoman Empire, before… Which is weird, because I've been to most countries at least once."

"Well, it's an amazing city, isn't it? It has a lot of history. It's said that the Black Plague first came to Europe through the Ottoman Empire, although it wasn't known by that name back then."

"I see. Anyway, where is this psychiatric hospital? I'd kind of like to get this done with."

"Of course you would. Let's go…" Allen said confidently, closing his eyes for a moment, and then walking east. As they were walking through the myriad streets of Istanbul, they were stopped by a constable, who cut them off, waving his baton at them.

"Hey! Olmalı sen çocuklar ol?" (Hey, shouldn't you kids be in school?)

For a moment, Road merely stared at him, then she burst out laughing hysterically, doubled over in a fit of giggles. Allen himself had to suppress his laughter.

"Benim karım hakkında üzgün. O kolayca eğlendirilir. Biz world civarındaki bir kısa yolculuktayız." (Sorry about my wife. She is easily amused. We are on a trip around the world.) Allen said in perfect Turkish. Road looked at him in surprise. She never knew that he could speak Turkish fluently. She wasn't sure if she liked being called 'easily amused', but she figured that she would let it go for the time being, if it served their purpose.

"Ben özür dilerim. Lütfen iyi bir günün var." (I apologize. Please have a good day.) the officer said with a smile. Allen nodded and smiled politely at the officer, taking Road's arm and leading her away. Allen was glad that he could work out their problem with the officer by talking. He didn't really want to have to kill anyone in the Ottoman Empire

"Let's see. Yersina Hospital should be right around the corner here."

"Ayberk… It's time for your medicine." A nurse said dully to a hulking man of 25 with long matted hair that had flecks of dirt, debris and blood in it. Blood ran down Ayberk's forehead where he was slammed in the head one day after he went into a psychotic rage, and needed to be knocked unconscious because simple sedatives didn't work on him. He had been displaying symptoms of his Noah awakening for a while. The cross shaped stigmata on his forehead, which the staff simply associated with him cutting himself again, a grayish hue to his skin, which the nurses figured was merely a lack of sunlight. Basically, the nurses had all gotten tired of dealing with Ayberk's psychosis, and had resigned themselves to simply keeping him locked in his cell save for when one unlucky nurse had to try and give him his medicine.

At first, Ayberk nodded and stood up, towering over the nurse at a huge 6'8", his body muscled like an ogre, and almost as hairy (ew). Hair hung down in front of his face so that the nurse could no longer see his eyes or his nose. Ayberk didn't seem to care, though, because he walked over to the nurse, calm as could be, and stuck his hand out to take the medication from her. The nurse gulped, praying that this was one of his good days. On his good days, he was polite, and even charming, despite his intimidating appearance. On his bad days, though, he ranted and raved about being unable to forgive God. How God had betrayed some imaginary man named Adam (a man they assumed to mean the first human), and he kept going on about Noah, and his eternal battle with God, occasionally regressing to having all out rages, where he punched the walls, putting huge dents in the concrete and nearly breaking the metal door for his room right off the wall.

Sometimes, a "good day" only lasted an hour, before something snapped inside him, and he went mad, destroying everything in sight. One day, they went into the room to find that the entire place had been burned to the ground. The bed was glowing cinders on the floor, smoke filled the room, and the desk was still on fire with the windows smashed because of the heat. Today, the nurse felt lucky not to have to worry that she was going to get her head ripped off by a monster that could make things spontaneously combust. As he was about to take his medicine, though, suddenly, his face warped into one of utmost rage, and heat swelled all around him, causing the nurse to gasp in pain as the wave washed over her, nearly setting her clothes and hair on fire.

"MUST KILL GOD! DESTROY THE INNOCENCE!" Ayberk raged, grabbing the nurse and slamming her into the wall, nearly causing her to be knocked unconscious. She shook her head, trying to be able to see clearly again. Her whole world was spinning, though, and she felt sick to her stomach. She groaned and coughed, throwing up as she was slammed against the wall again. Suddenly, though, before she knew it, she fell on the floor unceremoniously, unsure of where she was exactly. She didn't wait to find out, though, and as she stood up, she noticed two blurry figures, one old man and one small girl standing in front of Ayberk. She didn't care, though, she snuck around them, and then ran out, hardly able to speak for being so frightened. She didn't need this kind of shit. She had just started three weeks ago, and she was still getting used to the job. She had graduated high school in the top 1% of her class, but her parents were too poor to send her to college, and there weren't any colleges who wanted to give a girl one of their few scholarships. Therefore, she was forced to take this crappy job taking care of mental patients.

"Hello, Ayberk Malas…" Allen said brightly, sticking out his hand to shake Malas' hand. Malas eyed Allen suspiciously, but then seemed to recognize him, and he got down on one knee and bowed to him.

"It is… an honor to finally meet you, master…" he said in a deep, rumbling voice. Allen smiled politely and shook his head. Although he was flattered at such deference, he was also slightly embarrassed.

"There's no need for such formality. Please just call me Allen. The doctors and nurses all think you're insane, but Road and I know the truth. Your feelings of hurt and betrayal truly overcome you at times, don't they? I am not surprised. After what God did to your ancestor, anyone would feel betrayed. Please come with us so that you can meet your new family. It is time we left." And with that, the three Noahs left the hospital, never to return, much to the relief of all of the nurses. Little, of course, did they know, that much darker times lay ahead of them all.

(A/N: I know this chapter is a little bit short. Hopefully the next one will be logner. Cheerio!)


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty: Sweet Dreams and Nightmares

Lou Fa woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, looking around her room after having a strange dream. It was like she was floating in midair and then, she felt a strange presence, like something was there watching her, but she couldn't think of what it could be. Despite her best efforts to locate the source of the staring, she couldn't find it, and so, it first seemed like one set of eyes were on her. Then, a second set, and soon, it seemed like she was being stared at by large unblinking eyes all around her in a void where she couldn't see, or breathe, or even think. Then, she was suddenly not in the void anymore, but in the laboratories with the other scientists. Except she was where Reever usually was, drinking coffee and watching over the other scientists as they worked. She remembered the strangest feeling of superiority over her fellows, as though they were mere insects compared to her… Then, she realized why. It was because they weren't in the Order laboratory at all. They were in an unknown lab filled with amazing equipment, and things that were centuries ahead of anything that the members of the Order had ever created. If released at the right times, such inventions could keep them financially stable for the next three hundred years or so.

Today, Lou Fa was no longer a puny scientist, content to work underneath the higher ups. She was the boss. She was in charge, and she was powerful, indeed. Her former friends were beneath her notice, and they fully understood that. They feared and respected her as someone who could destroy them in an instant should she grow dissatisfied… As well they should. It was true, too. Her capriciousness truly knew no bounds, and her mad genius could change humanity as the world knew it. She could "end the world" and usher in a new era filled with superhumans, every one of them at her beck and call, and of course, the beck and call of the love of her life, Allen, the Millennium Earl. For he was the only one for whom she had any respect. The other Noahs? They meant nothing to her. They may have had more raw power, but their brilliance didn't even hold a candle to her own.

As she snickered at this thought, she noticed that candles with spikes on the bottoms began to light up all around her, floating in midair. First a few isolated candles of brightly colored wax with flames that glowed all different colors, from purple to blue to red, and black. As more candles lit, though, she saw the world beneath her in a new light. The people down there weren't people at all, but zombies, mere shells of their former selves, consigned only to labor their lives away under the whips of the Noah Family. She was horrified at the melancholy expressions on everyone's faces. Reever looked as though he had not slept in days, and then there were the Exorcists, devoid of their Innocence, good only for manual labor, and backbreaking work. The buildings all around her were reduced to rubble, and occasional winds that blew through the area picked up dust storms that caused everyone down below to sputter and cough as the dust entered their lungs, choking them.

Above them, the sky was an eerie glowing green color, and instead of clouds, there were faces, some grinning, some grimacing, and some sneering down at everyone below. Eyes of all different colors; black, blue, orange, red, green, shifted around from slave to slave, watching them, as if at some malevolent being's behest. There were no clouds in the sky, but there seemed to be a crimson red haze that crept along the ground, ever moving, slowly, slowly, even though the air was stagnant and oppressive around them.

Trees and grass were things of the past. Now, all that remained were burnt fields of ash and debris, and blackened stalks that stuck out of the ground. All over were what seemed like shadows of the objects to which they were connected. Upon closer inspection, though, Lou Fa noticed that they looked more like they had been burned onto the ground, as if something of such high power and heat had exploded that anything that wasn't vaporized was superimposed upon the ground in a permanent and creepy black shadow that didn't seem quite solid enough to be a burn mark, but was far to substantial and permanent to be _just_ a shadow.

And then, as if her dream weren't terrifying enough, a monster appeared out of midair with slimy purple/black flesh that looked gangrenous, and was positively melting off of the hideous creature's body. It shambled slowly toward her, and as it neared, she noticed that it didn't have eyes. Rather, it had sockets in its head where eyes would have been. Its nose seemed to have melted off already, and to even ask if it had ears would seem laughable. It looked a little bit like a level 4 Akuma, with the beer belly, and the emaciated arms and legs. She couldn't tell what was under the slime, for the slime was a greenish hue, and smelled almost as disgusting as it looked. Finally, it disappeared.

But then it reappeared behind her and grabbed her with both hands around the neck, and then by her waist with another pair of hands that seemed to come out of its side. Lou Fa shrieked as it grabbed her, and struggled fruitlessly to escape its hideous, and sickeningly powerful grip. Despite the slime all over it, though, its grip was like iron, and she could not escape. Finally, its fingers began to stretch out and turn into claws, and wrap around and around her body and neck like ropes, and then… it began to squeeze… hard. Lou Fa gasped in blinding agony as it did this. If it was a dream, though, how was she feeling pain? One shouldn't be able to be hurt in a dream. This wasn't an ordinary dream, though. It was like a Lovecraftian nightmare turned real before her very eyes.

Even as the monster was strangling the life out of her, the sky above her began to melt, and dribble down in long, goopy rivers of raw chaos, and unspeakable evil. As the melted sky hit the ground, and pooled, creatures similar to the one that was attacking her began forming from out the pools that were now becoming larger and larger. One by one, the former scientists and exorcists were also struck by the falling sky, and they began a hideous transformation, their very flesh writhing, and bubbling, the people let loose a horrifying cacophony of shrieks of agony from. That was when the strangest thing happened. Out of nowhere, the Noah known as Road, accompanied by none other than Allen himself showed up, Allen looking around and taking in a deep breath as though he were thoroughly enjoying the horrorfest before him, and Road moving her fingers as if she were conducting a symphony of world class instrumentalists. Allen laughed and kissed her affectionately on the lips, and then looked up at Lou Fa and shrugged, not saying anything before turning away. Then, she heard one phrase uttered out of his mouth, as the screams of agony grew to almost unbearable levels, and the laughter of the creatures that were growing up everywhere reached their apex.

"Here comes the crescendo!" Allen laughed, closing his eyes and listening appreciatively to the music as it peaked in a positive upsurge of noise, and of the very thoughts of these monstrous creatures, the true nature of those thoughts being far too alien and unwholesome to dare try to share. As the creatures laughed at that "crescendo, Lou Fa felt the constriction around her increase until… *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!

"!" Lou Fa shrieked, as she rocketed up in bed, gasping for breath, her chest heaving in and out, desperate to breathe, as though she had been holding her breath for the entirety of the dream, which may well have been the case, Lou Fa didn't know.

"Lou Fa! Lou Fa! It's alright! Calm down… We don't want to attract too much attention!" a gentle and caring voice said, pushing a strand of matted hair out of Lou Fa's eyes, and embracing her.

Too late. Everyone in the Order had probably heard her screams, and Lou Fa had not even heard his voice or felt his hand, as she was still struggling relentlessly to extricate herself from the sheets, which were soaked through with sweat. She was still screaming, although it was more of a gasping scream, now that she had gotten the first one out of the way. She gasped and moaned as finally, she calmed down and looked around to get a better bearing of her surroundings. It was dark, but she was in her own room at Main HQ.

"A-Allen!"

"Yes. It's me. I'm afraid Road got a little bit overzealous with her reality warping," Allen said with a good natured laugh. Road walked over to her and bent down, staring Lou Fa in the eyes. She poked her on the nose, and then began to grope her breasts, causing Lou Fa to squirm uncomfortably under Road's less than gentle touch. Road smirked.

"You don't have much in the way of sex appeal, do you, sweetie?" Road asked, grabbing Lou Fa by her chin and kissing her on the lips, surprising even Allen. Even he hadn't expected Road to go so far as to "inspect" Lou Fa. Next, Road brought her hand down and stuck it between Lou Fa's legs, causing her to squeak in humiliation, turning bright red.

"My. I didn't know that you were into girls as well as boys. You seem like such a straightlaced girl, but… you know, to each their own, and all that jazz."

"Are you satisfied, Road?"

"Yeah. I can't say I feel too threatened by her anymore. God, she's so plain. It's kind of hard to see you even getting turned on by her. But why did you insist on coming, Allen?" Road asked, raising an eyebrow at her lover.

"Oh, well, my reason for coming was twofold, actually. One reason is for you, Road, and the other is for Lou Fa. I think I'll start with Lou Fa, if you don't mind?" Allen said, looking at Road questioningly. Road grinned.

"Not at all. It would be terrible manners not to."

"Okay, Lou Fa, I suppose that I really should apologize. I don't bear any personal grudge against you. And so you know, you were very helpful…" Allen said with a chuckle, leaving Lou Fa at a loss for words.

"W-what are you talking about?" she asked, almost afraid to find out.

"Well, our date of course. Everything went exactly as I planned, and I got more information than I could possibly have hoped for from you. And second, I need to apologize to you."

"F-for what?"

"For this… Road, I have a gift for you."

"I love surprises. Is it a new torture device?"

"No. A new victim. It's up to you what happens to Lou Fa. You can kill her, or let her go if you want. She doesn't know anything important about us, so she isn't a danger. But, I understand if you want to torture and kill her."

"A-Allen!" Lou Fa cried. Allen looked at her questioningly. "Why! Why are you doing this!"

"Because I was bored, and I wanted information on the Order."

"How could you! I loved you! I trusted you!"

"I know… It couldn't possibly have worked so well if you didn't love and trust me. Have you made up your mind yet, Road? The others are getting close."

"Yes. Goodbye, Lou Fa. Look on the bright side. At least you didn't die a virgin, hahahahahahaaa!" Road said, drawing candle spikes out of midair and making them fly at Lou Fa, pinning her to the back wall. Suddenly, the world disappeared around Lou Fa, and a huge pocket dimension all of Road's creation appeared. She aimed another candle, this time at Lou Fa's hand, but just before it hit, Kanda broke in and sliced it in half with Mugen.

"I thought I killed you, Bean Sprout! Get out of the way, cat!" Kanda hissed, pushing Lulubell out of the way, to which she responded by turning back into her human form, and going into Noah form.

"I have retrieved the information you asked of me, Allen…" she said quietly. Allen smiled at her.

"Great. So, what's changed about Kanda?"

"He and Lenalee Lee are romantically and… intimately involved. From what I gathered, it started over Christmas season, and has been going on since then. They've been discreet about it for feat that Lenalee Lee's older brother, Komui Lee would overreact and actually kill Yu Kanda."

"So… Mr. Grumpyface finally got laid. It's about damn time, I suppose." Allen said teasingly, walking over to Kanda, who was red in the face, looking from onlooker to astonished onlooker, and especially at Komui, who looked as though he were about to have a stroke.

"He… He… He _defiled_ my sweet Lenalee-chan!" Komui stuttered. Then, gaining back his mind, he instantly appeared in a war helmet with an automatic rifle and a noose.

"THE MONSTER MUST DIE!" he screamed, running at Kanda. Kanda merely put his foot up, though, and stopped Komui dead in his tracks, leaving him to fall to the ground with a huge footprint on his face and a broken nose.

"We'll talk about this later, Lenalee-chan, Kanda-san…" he whimpered. They then all turned back to fight Allen, Road, and Lenalee, but found to their great shock that they disappeared in the confusion that ensued after Lulubell's revelation. Finally, Lenalee noticed Lou Fa sobbing in the corner. She shoved Kanda aside and ran over to her. Lou Fa was still covered in sweat from her nightmare, but she looked even worse, now. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying, and her hair was messier than ever. Lenalee sat down next to her and embraced her firmly, patting her on the back as she continued to cry, nearly in hysterics. Lou Fa couldn't talk at the moment. She knew that Lenalee was there, but she couldn't find her voice. She was too horrified by what Allen had just told her. Was that all that she was good for? Being a tool to someone who was smarter than her? What if he was laughing at her at that very moment? She never was able to picture him being cruel before, but now, somehow, she could just hear the cruel, cold laughter issuing from his chest, along with Road and the rest of the Noahs as he told them how stupid and ugly gullible she was.

Lenalee didn't even have to tell everyone else to leave. They kind of just knew to do so. For a moment, Lou Fa just stayed wrapped in Lenalee's embrace, hardly even noticing the world around her, but after six or seven minutes of crying, she managed to stop, at least for a little while.

"Are you feeling any better, Lou Fa?"

"N-no… I-I feel so stupid right now… How could I have let myself been manipulated like that?" Lou Fa asked, more to herself than to Lenalee. Still shaking violently, she tried to take a few deep breaths to steady herself. The dream that she had was still fresh in her mind, and yet, it seemed so long ago that she had had it. With all that had happened in the past fifteen minutes, it seemed a lifetime ago that she was able to sleep in relative peace. Now she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to sleep again.

"What happened? What did Allen do to you?" Lenalee asked, holding her gently in her arms. Lou Fa pushed her away, and sighed. She wasn't sure if she wanted anyone to know just how stupid she had been… But if it was anyone that she told, she had to talk to, she was glad that it was at least another girl. Maybe Lenalee would understand… But then, how could she? Lenalee had always been so beautiful, and strong, and attractive. Lou Fa pretended not to notice sometimes, but she knew that almost half the Order had feelings for, or at one time had had feelings for Lenalee. It was almost absurd how she attracted men to her. Then, Lou Fa looked at herself. Short, glasses, badly managed hair, just overall plain. With each new description that she gave of herself in her mind, she felt her back slumping a little bit more, and her misery building greater and greater.

"Lou Fa? Are you there?" Lenalee asked, looking Lou Fa in the eyes and staring at her for a moment. Finally, Lou Fa stopped staring off into space, and looked at Lenalee again.

"Yes. I'm here. I'm listening… What were you saying?" She asked dully, feeling even more stupid, now, knowing that she was asking Lenalee to repeat herself.

"I just asked what Allen did that made you so upset."

"D-do you promise that you won't l-laugh at me?" Lou Fa asked nervously, glancing away for a moment.

"Of course…" Lenalee said quietly, waiting for Lou Fa to speak again. After a moment, when Lou Fa felt comfortable, she spoke.

"Last week, after I woke up from being in the hospital, I got a letter that said to meet him at a café at noon that day. I-I still have the letter, I think… Anyway, we met there, and started to talk, but I was so nervous that I began to hyperventilate. Allen helped me, then took me back to his house, though I'm not quite sure where it was. He said that he felt bad about the things that he had done, and that he wanted to atone. Then, he asked if he could kiss me. I-it felt like my dreams were all coming true… We started out just kissing, but then, we started taking our clothes off… I…" Suddenly, Lou Fa turned a brilliant red, and stopped talking.

"I'm so sorry! It's improper to talk about this kind of thing!" She cried, tears starting to fill her eyes again. Lenalee stopped her, though.

"It's alright. I get what happened that night. Tell me what happened after that."

"Well, when I woke up, he was gone, and there was a letter that said to go back to the Order and pretend that nothing had happened. So I did, and then tonight, I had the most bizarre and frightening nightmare, and then, when I woke up, Allen and Road were here. Allen apologized, and then Road stepped forward and started staring at me. She said something about me not being much of a threat to her, and then, Allen apologized and said that he didn't bear any grudge against me. He said that I had been useful to him, something about getting information that he wanted. Then he said that Road could do whatever she wanted with me. Just when Road was attacking, that was when Mr. Kanda came in. That's about everything of importance…"

"Oh, Lou Fa…" Lenalee said, clutching Lou Fa to her tightly, holding on as if holding her own child.

"I'm sorry! I never meant to betray the Order! Now everyone will hate me!" Lou Fa cried, tears once more spilling freely down her cheeks, and she fell to deep, gasping sobs again. For another few minutes, Lou Fa went on like this, until once more, she managed to force herself to stop.

"I knew that Allen had gone bad, but I never imagined that he'd do something so utterly despicable. But what did you and Allen talk about that he was able to get information out of you?" Lenalee asked, slightly concerned, now.

"Nothing. That… that's just it. He brought me back to his house, and then once we were sitting at his table, he asked if he could kiss me. I-I was so flattered that I wasn't thinking about anything else…" Lou Fa said quietly, blushing cherry red.

"Did you get the feeling at any time like he was reading your mind, Lou Fa?" Lenalee asked, looking at Lou Fa with a new look of determination… Determination to figure out exactly what Allen had done."

"I don't know. He did it so… so subtly. It was like he knew exactly what to say, and what to do. I was never completely sure if he was just reading my mind, or really good at what he was doing. I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I should never have agreed to meet him in the first place! I can't believe I was so stupid!" She cried, unable to keep her voice down anymore. Lenalee stopped her from yelling, though, and calmed her down once more.

"You're not stupid, Lou Fa. He must have known that you had recently had a breakdown and he was probably counting on you being vulnerable…"

"Why are you being so nice to me, Miss Lee?" Lou Fa asked nervously. She had always been so insanely jealous of Lenalee's relationship with Allen, and now that she was talking with Lenalee like this, she wondered if she even deserved to have the exorcist being so kind to her.

"First of all, you don't need to call me Miss Lee. Second, why shouldn't I be nice to you?" Lenalee said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just… I always felt jealous and threatened by your close relationship with Allen… I-I guess I just assumed that I was beneath your notice…" the scientist muttered, turning her eyes away from Lenalee, almost embarrassed to be talking about this.

"Lou Fa. Do you really think I'm that stuck up? Allen and I were close, but he was important to me as a friend. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way about me. I never intended to. You should try to get some sleep though. You'll never feel better if you're too exhausted to do anything…" Lenalee said, her look of concern turning into a smile, as she helped Lou Fa stand up, and get back in her bed. As Lenalee turned to leave, though, Lou Fa stopped her.

"D-do you think I look plain?" she asked, blushing for what seemed like the millionth time that night. Lenalee turned around and looked at Lou Fa.

"What? Of course not. You're very pretty. Road doesn't know what she's talking about." Lenalee said. Then, she left, closing the door behind her, and went back to her own bed, knowing that in the morning, she'd have a lot of explaining to do, both to Leverrier and to her brother… for very different reasons, granted, but nonetheless… She would have to explain herself.

Lou Fa awoke to find herself standing on what looked like a bed of clouds before a brilliant golden gate with sunbeams pouring out and radiating the clouds around her so that they positively glowed with the power of God himself. Soon, a strange woman appeared before her, a being of such beauty and radiance that Lou Fa felt as though her breath had been taken away. The woman approached her, and embraced her into the folds of her cloak, holding Lou Fa close to her, and smiling down at her in a loving and motherly fashion.

"Hello, Lou Fa. It is wonderful to see you again…" She whispered to the scientist, kissing her on the forehead.

"Wh-who are you?" Lou Fa asked, feeling the strangest sense of nostalgia, being here, embraced by this beautiful woman who seemed to know her.

"Do you not remember me, sweetheart? I suppose that I should not be surprised. It was so long ago, and the event was so traumatic. You have probably blocked us from your memory…"

"M-mommy?" Lou Fa asked, tears filling her eyes as she looked up in recognition of the angel standing before her. "D-does that mean that I'm… dead?"

"No. I am merely here to give you a message. I feel terrible that I was unable to warn you of Walker's deceit, but you must not lose hope now, for you are needed more than ever. God has chosen you to be one of his warriors. While it is your choice whether to take up the mantle of an Exorcist, please do remember that the fate of mankind hangs in the balance. That is all that I have time to say. I promise, though, that when it is your time, I will gladly greet you at Heaven's gate. Goodbye, Lou Fa."

With that, a bright glow appeared before Lou Fa and then floated toward her, entering her body, and she suddenly felt a burning sensation inside her, and woke up with a start.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-One

Cross sighed, and started walking over to Klaud Nyne. She had never fallen to his charm before, but there was a first time for everything, he guessed. It wasn't like she was immune to human desire, and as far as he knew, she had never been romantically involved with anyone. That was just what he knew, though. And sometimes, he felt like what he knew included less and less of what was actually true. He used to be a brilliant scientist before he joined the Order, never swaying from his quest for knowledge. He joined the Order because they forced him to, having found that he was an accommodator for two Innocence, rather than just one. Well, technically, he was only the official accommodator for one, and that was Judgment. Grave of Maria he controlled through magic of his own, for along with being a scientist, he was a sorcerer of no small skill. All the power in the world wouldn't attract Klaud Nyne, though. There was something that Cross was missing about her… Something that attracted her, but that he was sorely lacking in. Sincerity? True kindness? Generosity? All traits that couldn't be used to describe Cross in a million years if he could accommodate every Innocence in existence.

After a moment, Cross stopped, not sure that he wanted to approach her. Lately… as in, ever since Christmas, Klaud had been unusually cold to him, almost as though she hated him even more than she used to. He wasn't sure if he wanted to have verbal abuse heaped onto him, and he had a good excuse for not talking to her. She was with the new exorcist, Lou Fa. No small amount of controversy was surrounding Lou Fa becoming an exorcist, given the rumor that she had been seduced by Allen. Of course, neither she nor Lenalee had said anything about Allen then telling her that he had basically been duping her the whole time. The poor girl was probably so humiliated that she couldn't bring herself to tell anyone. Even now, as she walked with Klaud Nyne to the training grounds, she had a slump in her step and a sullen aura around her that seemed to bring everyone down around her. Cross had found out through some well placed sources, but he hadn't told anyone. It was Lou Fa's business, and hers alone if she wanted to tell anyone. After a moment of staring at the two women, though, he was snapped out of his reverie.

"Hey! Marian! If you're here to talk to me, make it quick. I don't have time to waste on your idiocy. If you're here to talk to Lou Fa, I know why you want to, and I'll personally rip your nuts off and nail them to your head if you so much as look at her wrong!" Klaud Nyne snapped, glaring over at Cross, who smiled placatingly, and stepped out of the shadows, walking toward the two women.

"No, no. I wouldn't dare interfere with your disciple… You scare me far too much, Klaud."

"What do you want!"

"I wanted to know if I could watch you train. I'm rather bored right now, and I need a distraction."

For a moment, Klaud raised an eyebrow, but then she looked at Lou Fa, who had heard them talking. Suddenly, she went from sullen to deferential and bowed politely to Cross.

"O-of course, General. I-it would be an honor to have you there!" She said, not raising her head until Klaud Nyne sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Well, fine then. Just don't disturb us, and no flirting with her. Seriously!"

"I get it, I get it. So, what is her Innocence's power, anyhow?" he asked, as he fell into stride alongside Klaud Nyne, and Lou Fa. Klaud looked at him, suspicious of the interest that he was showing. She answered civilly, though.

"Her Innocence has unusual qualities about it. It allows her to create barriers of force to block incoming attacks. She can also create explosive bursts of force out of the barriers to throw attackers back. She… hasn't tried the latter yet for fear of hurting someone. I think we're going to try it today, though… Right, Lou Fa?"

"Y-yes ma'am…" Lou Fa said quietly, the same look of desolation in her eyes as before.

"Lou Fa…" Cross said quietly. He looked down at her, serious for once.

"Y-yes, General Cross?"

"I know that you may hate Allen right now, but please, if you ever face him in battle, please do not hold it against him. It's all my fault that he became this monster."

Klaud Nyne looked at him, her eyes wide with shock. Usually, Cross was infamous for dodging taking the blame for things. Now, though, he was heaping blame upon himself. This was behavior that she had never seen before in Cross… And it wasn't entirely unattractive. She was glad to see that he was finally taking more responsibility for his actions, although Klaud Nyne couldn't see how he could possibly be to blame for Allen's betrayal. Allen had been the best of the best before he fell. Ever since he had fallen in love with Road, though, it was like he was a different person, and now, it was like he wasn't human at all. His schemes were becoming more and more convoluted and vague, at least… that was how it was looking from an outsider's point of view. She had no idea how a person like Allen, a vampire, the Millennium Earl, a Noah, saw things. What went through Allen's mind was a complete mystery to all but Allen, and perhaps some of the members of the Clan of Noah.

"Abjura! Repel!" Lou Fa called, throwing up a rough force field in front of her as Lau Jimin attacked. The giant monkey punched the force field, and it shattered suddenly, throwing Lou Fa back. She groaned as she hit the ground, and her glasses fell off her face and slid across the floor. She then rolled onto her knees and started feeling around for her glasses, causing Klaud Nyne to sweatdrop. The girl seriously needed to get contact lenses. Finally, she managed to find them, and put them on. Almost immediately, though, Lau Jimin attacked, and Lou Fa was forced to move. She pointed her fist at the ground and used the force blast that Klaud Nyne had mentioned earlier to rocket her off the ground and eight feet into the air. She shrieked in fear as she flew up into the air, closing her eyes, hoping for the best. When she opened them, she had just begun to arc at about eight and a half feet, and she started flapping her arms as if attempting to fly. Mere seconds before she landed, though, she released a blast from her arm to cushion her blow, leaving Klaud Nyne to wonder if her clumsiness had all just been an act. If it had been, she had even fooled Klaud herself, who was relatively hard to fool.

"Good! That was impressive. You're still hesitant to use your offensive weapon against Lau Jimin, though, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. I don't want to hurt him."

"I assure you that would be impossible. Punch Lau Jimin now, as hard as you can…" Klaud said seriously. Lou Fa looked at her in disbelief. "Go on. Punch him."

Lou Fa walked over to the oversized monkey, and pulled her fist back, punching it right in the chest. Unfortunately, Lou Fa only succeeded in hurting her hand, causing tears to well up in her eyes.

"May I say something, General?" Cross said, standing up at a leisurely pace and walking over, drawing Judgment from his belt. Klaud Nyne gasped, and looked at Cross distrustfully.

"Don't worry, I have great control over this gun. Unfortunately, there may come a time when merely stopping your opponent's attack once will not be enough. Take Judgment for instance. This gun, and the bullets fired from it instantly home in on the target that I designate, and the bullets, no matter how many I fire, no matter how fast the enemy is, will follow the target until they hit, or until they are destroyed. They are not overly hard to destroy, and I think that a blast of force from your Innocence would suffice if the blast was well placed. Let's try it. Are you ready?"

"Y-yes…"

Klaud Nyne sighed and stepped back. She was surprised that Cross was being so helpful. Normally, he would just flirt relentlessly and shamelessly with both Lou Fa and she until he was kicked out, or one of them succumbed. And Klaud Nyne shuddered to think what would happen to Lou Fa if she succumbed to Cross's charms. Unfortunately, he seemed to have that effect on women. Perhaps it was some dark sorcery that he used, but Klaud Nyne suspected that it was something far more mundane, like his nearly superhuman confidence and ego that somehow attracted the ladies.

She watched as Cross started out by firing a single bullet at Lou Fa, who once again dodged it using the blast that she had used earlier. Cross laughed and clapped for her as she flew up into the air once more, and spun around through her own momentum to dodge the bullet once more. She then landed on the ground, gasping as her feet hit harder than she had expected them to, and she jumped out of the way of the bullet a third time, diving for the floor and somersaulting to dodge it a fourth and fifth time. She then watched through peripheral vision as the bullet came in from the side, and threw up a force field, throwing the bullet off course. It managed to throw her back a bit, but she corrected herself first, and then stood there as though waiting for something. Finally, Cross saw what she had been doing. She had been leading the bullet around to put herself in a favorable position to blast it apart head on. As the bullet homed in on her from the front, she shot off a blast, and the bullet exploded in midair. However, still being somewhat poorly balanced, Lou Fa was thrown back by the force of her own blast, and hit the wall, hitting her head and knocking herself unconscious.

Having watched all of this, Cross was impressed, and he walked over to Lou Fa, leaning down to see how badly she had injured herself. Immediately, Klaud followed him over and pushed him away.

"Calm down, Klaud. I may be pretty low, but I'm not low enough to attack a defenseless teenage girl in her sleep. I actually feel bad for her. I always used to find it a little bit fun to seduce a woman, and then up and leave all of a sudden. I suppose I saw it like a game. The harder it was for me to catch her, the more fun and satisfying it was in the end…"

"Why are you telling me all this!"

"You probably think that Allen got what he did to Lou Fa from me. Don't bother denying it. I can tell that's what you think… And for your next question, I didn't read your mind. Just your expression. You're always so hostile toward me, like I'm evil incarnate or something. I never taught Allen to be like that, though. I never promised the girls that I 'caught' anything that I didn't plan to deliver. I never promised them a long term relationship, and I never did it for the sole purpose of breaking their heart. Still, I feel that perhaps Allen would have done better under some other general. Perhaps if I had handed him over to you, or to Yeegar. Maybe none of this would have happened."

"Cross… I don't hate you. Rather, I grow frustrated with your seeming lack of seriousness and sincerity. I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask, but why have you been stalking me these last few weeks? Surely you haven't targeted me as your next woman?"

"Well, yes and no. Sorry about stalking you. I just enjoy watching you work. I could do it for hours. Call me stupid, but I really do love you. I wasn't lying that time that I told you that."

"And why should I believe that from the man who's seduced 1,000 women."

"Actually, it's more like 3,204.5."

"Why .5?"

"Well, I don't really count Anita as having been part of the game. She was the one woman before you that I was actually serious about. So, she would be the ½."

"Right. You have a strange way of looking at things…" Klaud said, scowling at Cross. Then, Klaud did something that she'd not done in a long time. She laughed. "It's kind of cute…" She said, kissing Cross on the cheek, leaving Cross to wonder if perhaps he was delirious, and only dreaming that all of this was happening.

"Umm… R-right… Well… Perhaps we should move Lou Fa to a more comfortable location?"

"Good idea. Are you going to carry her, or should I?"

"You trust me to carry her? She is a girl after all… And rather cute, I must say…"

"Well, have I any reason that I should not trust you to be able to carry out the simple task of carrying an unconscious girl to her bed without molesting her?"

"Please, my dear. Molest is such a negative word. I prefer the term 'sexually mishandle'." Cross said with a vibrant laugh, causing Klaud Nyne, despite herself, to laugh as well. The two talked and laughed all the way to Lou Fa's room, where Cross put her in her bed, and covered her. He then took Klaud Nyne by the waist and kissed her on the lips, not having been satisfied with just that kiss on the cheek that he had gotten.

"My, aren't we being awfully daring today? What makes you think you can kiss me like that?" Klaud Nyne asked teasingly. Cross laughed heartily again, and said, "Well, given your personality, you would have summarily stopped me in the most painful and violent way possible if you had any objection to it. Therefore, I assume that you do not…"

"A rather bold assumption. You know what they say about assumptions, don't you?"

"Yes, yes. Assumptions make an ass out of you and me."

"W-what happened!" Lou Fa shouted, shooting up in bed, causing her head to swim suddenly. She almost instantly felt as though her brain had been water boarded, and she was drowning in the water on her brain. For a moment, she felt as though she was going to throw up, and then she did… She retched, hurling and gripping her stomach, forcing Cross, who was closest to her, to grab her hair and hold it back so that she did not throw up on it, which would have been bad, at least for her morale, which was fragile at the moment. When she was done throwing up, she immediately stood, wavering on the spot for a moment before her head stopped spinning.

"Well, I feel a little bit better…" she said hazily, not really aware that anyone was in there with her.

"Well, that's a good thing…" Klaud Nyne said, alerting Lou Fa to her and Cross's presence.

"Oh my God! I-I am so sorry! I didn't know you were here! I thought…" And she started off in a rant about God only knew what, with waving her arms around, and her glasses falling off, and so on.

"Calm down! You're gonna throw up agai… yep, there it goes…" Cross said, as Lou Fa rushed for the garbage can and hurled over the edge, groaning in pain as the meager contents of her stomach forced themselves up through her throat and out her mouth. Finally, after she stopped, she sighed and looked at the two generals. Klaud walked over and took her shoulder, leading her to the bed, where she sat down, cupping her face in her hands.

"I messed up, didn't I?" Lou Fa asked quietly. Klaud Nyne thought for a moment, and then said, "No. Not at all. You just need to work on your balance a little bit. That's all. Cross is a rather demanding teacher. Perhaps he shouldn't have used his Innocence yet."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Two

Manipulation of pure elemental chaos. That was Ayberk Malas' power. And what a power it was. For him to be able to draw together the forces that created the Big Bang and bring them under his control was nothing short of miraculous. Unfortunately, such powers were extremely difficult to control, and there was a high price associated with manipulating such energies. Already, Ayberk's physical body was beginning to show the effects of playing with chaos. Slowly writhing and skittering lumps under his flesh that seemed to move of their own accord and eyes that seemed to open and shut outside of Ayberk's control. These were mild effects, though, and well worth the gift that he had been given. Allen had almost been afraid to turn him into a vampire, but now, he was glad that he had. Chaos, when mixed with high levels of Dark Matter turned into a force for chaos so powerful that few could stand in its way. Today, Ayberk was going on his first mission to destroy some Innocence that was rumored to be located in Hawaii, a place that Ayberk had never been before. Allen had said that he was going to go with him personally, just to make sure that nothing happened, and although Allen meant well, it was making Ayberk nervous.

"Master… A-are you sure that we should be conducting ourselves in such… a public place?"

"For the millionth time, Ayberk, please call me Allen. 'Master' is so formal."

"Of course, Lord Allen…"

Allen privately shook his head. It seemed that Ayberk was hopelessly polite, and unwilling to deviate from his manners.

"And it's fine to be in public. Did I ever tell you about my first meeting with Road?"

"N-no…" Ayberk answered truthfully. Allen never seemed the type prone to reminiscing, and Ayberk never wanted to seem nosy, so he never asked about his fellow Noahs' pasts.

"Well, I was an Exorcist at the time, mind you, this was only two years ago, maybe, and Lenalee and I had been ordered to go to a town that was being affected by a strange phenomenon. The town kept repeating October 28th, which had happened thirty-one times by the time Lenalee and I got there. The woman who was responsible for the phenomenon, through no direct fault of her own, of course, was named Miranda Lotto, a chronically unlucky person who had all but given up hope when we got there. It turned out that she was the accommodator for an Innocence that had planted itself inside an old grandfather clock that she owned, and it was the clock that was causing the town to repeat the 28th of October on the count of midnight every night. Well, naturally, the Earl noticed this as well, and sent Road to check it out."

"So you met her and fell in love?"

"Huh! Is that what you heard! No! Not at all! I hated Road the first time I met her! She was a sadistic, monstrous psychopath with a taste for torturing humans and Akuma alike! I tried to kill her, but knowing that she was a human, I couldn't bring myself to do it, and she escaped. I learned later that she wasn't really so awful, though."

"But what about…"

"Enough. Reminiscing on the past will do you naught but ill. Only when one looks toward the future can they hope to succeed."

"I see. Do you know where the Innocence is located?"

"No. We have a good start, though. We know the bizarre phenomenon that is going on in this town. There is a man thought to be invincible. We must meet him and find the source of his good fortune."

"How will we find him?"

"It shouldn't be hard. He's capitalized quite well on his acquired ability, and has challenged anyone who thinks they can to defeat him in battle. Thus far, he has not lost one fight."

"Do you really believe that I can win against him, Lord Allen?"

"I am sure that you could. I just worry that you might destroy the entire island as well. I think I will fight this time. Besides, he is only interested in physical combat."

"I see. Would he not think it odd that the smaller of the two of us is so much stronger?"

"Hey!" Allen said jokingly. "Who are you calling small!"

"N-no! I merely meant that…"

"It's alright. I know what you meant. We're here."

Allen walked in and bowed to the person at the door, smiling politely at him. He then focused his gaze on the man standing at the end of the hall, who was obviously the Innocence wielder, having huge muscles and a permanent smirk on his face.

"Hello, Mr. Dirk. How do you do?" Allen asked, taking off his hat and bowing to the large man. The man laughed and looked down at Allen.

"Are you bringing this giant to challenge me! I look forward to such a test…"

"Actually, sir… I was planning on challenging you…" Allen said mildly, smiling at the man's surprise.

"YOU! Why, I could easily snap you in half! You should not be so quick to throw your life away, boy!"

"Looks can be deceiving. I actually like my chances. Ayberk, did you bring the money?"

"I did, indeed, Lord Allen. Here you are, $50,000.00, just as you asked."

"I'd like to make a small wager, Mr. Dirk. If you win, I will give you 50,000 dollars."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but what if you win?"

"If I win, then you give me that lucky ring that you are wearing."

"You want my ring? Are you with those two cute girls that came here yesterday?"

"Two cute girls? Were they wearing black uniforms, by any chance?"

"Yeah. You know them?"

"Nope. Never met them before in my life. Are we going to fight, or not?"

"I suppose it would look rather bad if I backed down from a challenge with a child. I promise not to kill you, though."

"I'm relieved to hear that. Ayberk, could you please bear witness to our fight?"

"Of course, Lord Allen. I would be honored…" Ayberk said as they walked into a dojo, and faced off.

"On the count of three, then?"

"One" Dirk said.

"Two…" Allen followed. Then together, they said,

"Three!"

And Allen was off. Although he was across the room, he quickly closed the distance with graceful ease and then jumped into the air, kicking Dirk in the chest. Dirk went flying back and hit the wall, but stood up seconds later, laughing. Allen then rounded him, going to the back, and grabbing his arm, and flipping him over, slamming him into the floor once, twice, three times, and then leaping away before he had a chance to hit back. Again, though, Dirk merely stood up, cracked his neck, and laughed.

"You're strong, boy. But you'll have to hit me harder than that to pose any significant threat." Allen nodded, and seemed to disappear, before reappearing before Dirk, and kicking him in the head, and making a volley of punches to his face. As he was doing this, though, Dirk put his ring hand out, and shouted, "RELEASE!" and a huge blast of energy came out of his hand, and threw Allen clear across the room, smashing the wall on the other side. For a moment, Allen didn't move, but then, he twitched, and stood up, groaning and cracking his knuckles.

"Wow! Didn't expect quite such a heavy blast. No wonder Lenalee lost to you. No matter how hard her kicks were, if she received that much damage, there's no way she could win."

"Oh, no. She beat me. She told me that members of the Order would come for me. That I would know them when I saw them, and to watch out for some group named the Noah Clan."

"Ah. She was wise to warn you. Anyway, it should be over, soon. Goodbye, Mr. Dirk…" Allen said, disappearing once more, and then landing a blow to Dirk's chest that was so heavy it shattered most of his ribs, and sent him flying into the concrete wall, destroying it, and smashing the pipes inside so that water started to leak out.

"I believe that's checkmate, and since I win, I get the ring. You're going to pass out, now. When you wake up, tell the Order that they no longer have any use for you. That I destroyed your Innocence."

"Wh-who are you?"

"I am Allen Walker."

With that, Allen took Dirk's hand and removed the ring, smashing the metal band to release the Innocence. Just as he was about to do that, though, Lenalee, Kanda, and three finders came in and saw Allen there. Kanda acted quickly and slashed off Allen's hand, causing the Innocence to fall to the ground and clatter across the floor.

"Ah, Lenalee, Lou Fa. It is good to see you again. How are you feeling, Lou Fa?" Allen asked tauntingly.

"Much better, thanks…" Lou Fa responded in sarcastic tones. Allen smiled, and walked over to Lou Fa, putting a hand on her shoulder, which she quickly shrugged off and kicked at Allen. He caught her leg, though, and pulled it, causing her to fall flat on her back.

"Now, now. We mustn't be rude. In fact, I'm grateful to you. Some of the projects you scientists are working on are simply ingenious. A dark matter detector, now I know how Kanda and Lavi found us in Rhodes. Pills that can keep an exorcist going for days. Simply brilliant," Allen said, grinning maliciously at Lou Fa, whose eyes were now flooding with tears, terrified that Allen really had read her mind.

"W-what else did you see when you r-read my mind?" Lou Fa asked nervously.

"Oh, not much. Just a few other incomplete projects and some ideas that hadn't yet been put into action. I didn't look through your personal thoughts. That would just be adding insult to injury."

Allen smiled politely, then, when he heard Lou Fa breathe a heavy sigh of relief. Lenalee walked over and embraced her, before gently pushing her aside and walking over to Allen.

"I don't suppose that you'd just let us take the Innocence and be on our way, would you, Mr. Millennium Earl?" She asked with a cold glare.

"So, you and Kanda, huh? I never would have suspected that Mr. Grumpyface was in love with you… not that I blame him. You're smart, and strong, and beautiful, and you have a great personality to boot. How is your brother taking it, though?"

"Nii-san? He's taking it better than I thought he would, actually. He seems to trust Kanda with me more than he trusted you…" Lenalee said with a cold smirk.

"Ahaha! Is that so? Oh well. I suppose you can't win them all, can you? But to answer your question, no, I won't let you leave. Ayberk, could you give Miss Lee and Miss Lou Fa a demonstration of your power?" Allen said politely, bowing to Ayberk, who nodded, and bowed to Lenalee.

"My name is Ayberk Malas, Miss Lee. Please don't think ill of me…" Ayberk said as his skin turned gray, and the stigmata traditional of the Noah appeared across his forehead. As he finished his sentence, the world seemed to disappear around Lenalee, literally melting, and turning into grotesque sludge, strange and alien plants and animated objects coming out of the chaos. Lenalee looked around cautiously, and immediately began her attack, kicking Ayberk hard and sending him across the room. She instantly felt the effects of his elemental chaos, though, as her feet began to ache, and bleed multicolored blood.

"W-what's happening!" Lenalee cried, as the room around them became ever stranger, eyes and mouths coming out of the floor, and tentacles writhing and wriggling all over.

"Pure, undiluted elemental chaos is taking hold, Miss Lee. The more you touch my body, the more elemental chaos will enter your body, and it will slowly and painfully degrade it until it has become nothing more than sludge. Please surrender. I have not been ordered to kill you, and killing women and children brings me no satisfaction. If you surrender, you may yet have a chance of living. If not, then I will grapple you, and force you to die a slow and painful death."

Lenalee glared at Ayberk for a moment, but finally, nodded, surrendering. Ayberk smiled sympathetically, and stood down. Lenalee grimaced in agony, but looked toward Lou Fa, who nodded, and suddenly sent a blast of Innocence laced force at Ayberk, who was caught off guard, and was thrown into the back wall, which was still nothing more than sludge, and thus, did little damage to him. The force bullet, though, did do some damage, and suddenly, four more bullets hit him. He sighed, and stood up, taking each of the bullets in turn, while still walking toward Lou Fa. He then grabbed her by the wrist, causing her to scream out in agony as the chaos entered her body, and began to cause it to decompose from the inside out. He pulled her up into the air, keeping a tight grip on her wrist, listening pitilessly to her shrieks of pain, until finally, he dropped her.

"Do you surrender, Miss Lou Fa?" He asked quietly.

"N-never!" she cried meekly, spitting in his face, and then putting up a shield as he tried to grab her again, causing him to be thrown back.

"An interesting Innocence you have. I've heard of many types of Innocence in my many past lives, but none quite so interesting as this."

"Fuck you!" Lou Fa yelled, groaning in pain as the chaos did its horrible work on her body. Just as she was about to be slammed again by Ayberk, though, a bullet went straight through Ayberk's hand, and then doubled back and buried itself in his back. Ayberk roared in pain, causing a ripple to course through the room, and the chaos to activate, leading to geysers of elemental chaos to erupt, spewing the sludge all over everything, making huge waves of it. Allen was protected from it, but the Exorcists were not, and so, Lou Fa made a force globe around them that would protect Lenalee, Klaud Nyne, Cross, Dirk, and herself from the elemental fury outside.

"That's a pretty useful weapon that you have, there sweetie…" Cross said flirtatiously, earning him a slap from Klaud Nyne. He grinned apologetically, and then fired three more bullets through the shield, which automatically repaired itself as the bullets exited, and hit their mark, incapacitating Ayberk, who was now in a berserker rage, with red hot chaos flowing all through the room, making a mess of everything. Slowly, the house itself began to fall apart, finally having succumbed to the chaos that had been coursing through it for almost twenty minutes. Lou Fa listened in fear as the house began to rumble, and the walls began to melt down around them, causing the waves of chaos to rise higher and higher, and positively drown them in the force of creation. The globe that Lou Fa had put up around them would only last for so long, and at that very moment, Ayberk was still in a rage. And so, Klaud Nyne decided that she had to join the fray. Lou Fa and Lenalee's bodies were weakening, and in immense agony, and the fight needed to end. She activated Lau Ji Min, and sent him out into the chaos, from which he was protected due to the fact that he was made of Innocence. He grabbed Ayberk, restraining him, and then fired a beam of Innocence at him point blank before jumping away. As he jumped back into the globe, Ayberk fell, and the chaos slowly began to disappear. The damage had been done, though, and although Allen had to leave, now, he grabbed Ayberk, and hightailed it out of there, not bothering to take the Innocence as he had originally planned. He had injured the Exorcist force enough. If his calculations were correct, Lou Fa wouldn't live very long, and now that Lenalee was on her way, she would similarly die, although not nearly as fast as Lou Fa.

Once the chaos disappeared completely, Lou Fa powered down the globe, and almost immediately fainted, her entire body convulsing from the chaos that was at work inside her. Lenalee looked at her in horror and ripped off Lou Fa's sleeve, which was soaked in blood, finding that the poor girl's flesh was bubbling and bleeding mercilessly. She was dying, and in an extremely painful manner, most likely. Lou Fa moaned in her sleep, rolling around in pain as Klaud Nyne picked her up. Lenalee tried to stand, but found that her leg was growing weaker. The new power that the Noah had used was strange to the Order, and they would both have to be observed by the Research and Development department before they could be saved. Fortunately, three finders were there with them as well, and they had a teleportation scroll that would bring them straight back to the Order.


	24. Chapter 24

(A/N: Many things happen in this chapter, including a fair amount of mention of Hitler, the Jews, and Nazi Germany. If you are offended by any of this, feel free to skip this chapter. You will miss some hilarious content (at least, _I_ think it's hilarious, (although I would, considering I wrote it)). Anyhow, this chapter isn't overly vital, and merely talks about things going on in the Order.)

Chapter Twenty-Three

It was as though she were looking down on herself from above. Nothing seemed real anymore, and the pain that she was experiencing was there, but not, all at the same time. It was as though she were feeling a psychic connection, and experiencing someone else's near unbearable agony, rather than her own.

"Put her on the bed! Get some of that stabilizing solution into her, and pray to God that it works!"

Was that Reever? She could hear voices all around her, but none of them quite made sense, like they were speaking another language that she knew she ought to know, but that she just couldn't put her finger on. All of the words were getting jumbled in her head, as if her mind was being electrocuted, and messed up intentionally.

"We can't allow these two to die!"

Die? Why would she die? She was just talking to Lou Fa. Granted, there had been a nagging pain in her ankle, but that was no reason to suspect that she was going to die. Was she in a serious battle? What happened? Did she win? Or perhaps she had sacrificed her life in vain. How was Lou Fa? She had just become an exorcist. She couldn't die yet. She was too young, had too far to go.

Then, it suddenly began to flood back to Lenalee, like the flood gates had burst, and her memory was returning. Ayberk. Allen. Dirk. Cross. Klaud. They had been battling with the Noah, and with Allen, and the Noah had used some strange power on them that made their bodies feel like they were being ripped apart molecule by molecule. The pain was unbearable.

"Lenalee-chan! Please don't die!"

"Nii-san! I'm up here!" Lenalee felt herself thinking from above, watching her brother crying as he sat by her bed, all the while, the science department trying to get rid of him. He was being even more insane than usual. She understood, though. He had no idea what was happening to her, had no idea why her body was turning gray and melting in places

This was a catastrophe. She couldn't die. She still had so much that she needed to accomplish. She couldn't die until she forced Allen to see the light, until he realized that what he was doing was wrong, and that he needed to change. When that happened, then she could die… but not a moment sooner.

"Lenalee…"

It was Kanda. He was sitting there, too, on the other side of Lenalee's bed. The science department was too afraid to tell him to leave, even as they worked on saving Lenalee's life.

"_Lenalee! Lenalee!"_

"_Y-yes?"_

"_You realize of course, that you dying."_

"_I know."_

"_There's a chance that you can live. You have to want it, though."_

"_Of course I want it! My brother…"_

"_NO! You must want it for no reason other than your own! I cannot help you unless you truly from the bottom of your heart desire to live!"_

"_I do! I can't die! Not yet."_

"_Then, you shall live… If your will is strong enough."_

Suddenly, though, there was a brilliant white glow, and Lenalee's boots activated of their own accord. Her body began to stop melting, and reform itself. Where her flesh once was slick with sticky slime, it was now slick only with sweat and thick crimson blood. Next thing Lenalee knew, she was drawn back into her body. No more was she in immediate danger of death, but if her will faltered even for a moment, she would die. It was the same for Lou Fa. It seemed that all around, the Innocence was finally taking on new properties, the ability to save its accommodator's life, a will of its own, a sort of sentience.

"Lenalee-chan? A-are you alright?"

Lenalee's eyes fluttered open slowly, her head spinning, still, and her body weak and heavy.

"O-of course I am. You know I can't die yet…" She said weakly. Komui smiled at her, and brushed a strand of hair out of her face, kissing her forehead.

"Are you mad! These two just woke up! They're hardly in any condition to be interrogated!"

"Would you have us march on, ignorant of the enemy's powers, Komui Lee!" Leverrier's harsh voice said, cruel tones laced throughout it.

"Of course not, but they just suffered an extremely traumatic injury! They need time to recover!"

"You're allowing your personal feelings for these exorcists to color your judgment! Now move aside, else I'll have you removed as head of Research and Development!" Leverrier said, his voice rising in volume and urgency.

"Go ahead! Have me fired! I'll continue to watch over my friends from a subordinate position! Have me imprisoned! I'll seek news of goings on from my lonely cell beneath HQ! Have me executed! My _ghost_ will continue to haunt you until the day you die to make sure that no unnecessary harm befalls these exorcists because of your arrogance!"

Suddenly, Lou Fa's head poked from out the door of the infirmary. Komui, Leverrier and Link all looked over at her, Komui staring apologetically.

"Lou Fa! I'm so sorry! Did we wake you up? The Inspector was just about to leave." He said, looking worried. Lou Fa looked as though the mere act of getting out of bed and walking over to the door had cost her everything she had.

"No… I-it's fine! I can talk to… Inspector Leverrier…" She said, taking deep gasps of breath, looking as though she were about to pass out.

"See, Komui…" Leverrier said with a smug grin. "You worry too much. These exorcists are tougher than you give them credit for." He said, his tone cold and patronizing.

With that, he followed Lou Fa in, patiently walking behind her at a slow pace as she made her way back to her bed and gasped in relief as she laid back down, drawing the covers back over her legs.

"Is Miss Lee still asleep?" Leverrier asked quietly, staring over at Lenalee, who was only pretending to be asleep to escape having to talk to Leverrier, whom she feared greatly.

"Please don't… wake her up. She needs to rest. I-I'll tell you everything you need to know."

"Very well. What happened? I want a full account of your battle," Leverrier said authoritatively.

"We broke into… the house just as Allen Walker… was about… to destroy the Innocence. H-he ordered a Noah by the name of Ayberk Malas to fight us. A-Ayberk is tall, maybe 6'8", and large, probably 275-300 pounds, mostly muscle, and most likely from the Ottoman Empire, given his accent, and skin tone. He went into… Noah form, and immediately, the room around us began to transform into a strange landscape such as one you might see in an HP Lovecraft story…"

She was interrupted there, by Leverrier, who put his hand out, and looked at her suspiciously.

"Who is HP Lovecraft?"

"Oh! Howard Phillips Lovecraft is a brilliant author who writes short horror stories that seem more as a cross between weird science fiction and horror. He has created an entire universe and mythos, commonly called the Cthulhu mythos, and has gathered a cult following around his works." Lou Fa said excitedly, her hair standing on end, but a wide grin breaking her face.

"Fine. Go on."

"Anyway… Th-the entire room began to melt when he turned into Noah form, but it wasn't a different dimension… because we could have escaped had we wanted to. He claimed that his power was the manipulation of pure, elemental chaos, or the stuff of creation. If he is telling the truth, then that means that he could theoretically create a miniature Big Bang with more or less the same effects, though how miniature, I cannot say with any certainty. Anyhow, he seems to be a melee combatant, although he can use objects in the room that have been touched by the chaos to assist him in battle. To directly harm an opponent, he must somehow physically make contact… with their flesh, or they must physically make contact with his flesh. Thereafter, a sharp pain will take hold in the person, and their body will begin to break down due to the chaos. This will most likely take the form of the body melting, and depending on how prolonged the physical contact was, the person will probably die in a week or so. It is an excruciatingly painful death, although there are ways around touching him directly. If one has a weapon that uses ranged attacks, such as General Cross's, or General Nyne's, the Innocence will not be damaged, as his powers, just like all of the other Noahs' powers… are based on Dark Matter. I believe that it is in the Order's best interest to use only ranged attacks against him, and to minimize the possibility of him making physical contact with the exorcists."

"Link!"

"Yes sir!" Link said, standing at attention.

"Did you get all that?"

"Yes sir, I did."

"Thank you for your time, Lou Fa. Have a good afternoon."

As soon as Leverrier shut the door, Lou Fa sighed in relief. Leverrier really was a scary guy, and that glare that he always wore was just plain creepy. Soon, Lenalee opened her eyes, and looked over at Lou Fa.

"Thank you for not making me talk to Leverrier. Even after all these years, he still terrifies me."

"Of course. Truth told, he scares me, too. I don't know what he did to you, and you don't need to tell me, but have you ever considered confronting him?"

"No. I wouldn't suggest you say things like that in public either, Lou Fa. Questioning his authority could get you in a lot of trouble."

"Is he really that powerful?"

"Yes."

"He looks a lot like Adolf Hitler…"

"I never thought about it, but you're right. All that's missing is the ugly uniform and the German accent."

*Snort!*

"What was _that_!" Lenalee asked, as Lou Fa covered her nose and mouth to prevent herself from spitting.

"S-sorry! I just pictured the entire Order shouting _HEIL HITLER!_ As Leverrier walked by!" Lou Fa said, hardly able to contain her laughter.

"I bet you anything we could arrange that!" Lenalee said gleefully, giggling as she did so. After the dismal mood that she had been in just a moment ago, she was feeling much better. Soon, Lou Fa could no longer keep herself from laughing, and she began to do so with a vigor. Before either girl knew it, they were laughing up a storm. Lou Fa felt strange, though… Thirsty, like she had a high fever… She could think perfectly well, though, and it was impossible for her to have a fever. After all, she just recovered from being ill. But neither could she deny the overwhelming thirst that was overcoming her.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Four

"Lou Fa, are you alright?" Lenalee asked, looking over at Lou Fa, who had just finished off her tenth bottle of water in the last hour. "You must be about ready to burst…"

"I-I'm fine…" Lou Fa lied. For the past few days, her senses all seemed to be becoming hyperactive. Smells were stronger, sounds were louder, colors were brighter and better defined. The problem was, she couldn't go out during the day. She tried once, but her skin immediately started to burn and blacken, and let off a horrible stench. As soon as she withdrew from the sun, though, her skin began to heal, and within fifteen minutes, she was back to normal again. She was lethargic during the day, and unable to sleep at night. Constantly thirsty, but not satisfied by water, Lou Fa was beginning to wonder what was wrong with her. She tried to think back. Had she caught some strange, exotic disease?

Now, she was with Lenalee. It was Lou Fa's day off, and they were walking around the Order's lower levels. Lenalee took Lou Fa by the shoulders and turned her around to face her, then put a hand up to her forehead, which she drew away in shock.

"Lou Fa! You're ice cold! We have to get you to the infirmary! How can you still even be walking around!"

At this, Lou Fa covered her ears, and fell to her knees. She couldn't believe how loud Lenalee was. Lenalee was usually the quiet one.

"Don't scream at me!" Lou Fa pleaded.

"What? I'm not screaming… I hardly raised my voice at all. Are you sure you're alri… OW!" Lenalee yelped as she brushed against a sharp edge that stuck out of the wall, cutting herself. Lou Fa gasped as the blood dribbled down Lenalee's arm, and she watched the crimson red trail leave its path. She could feel her heart pounding, and her head throbbing. She needed that blood. Suddenly, she felt her vision going red, and nothing mattered anymore except drinking that sweet, luscious blood. She grabbed Lenalee, kneeling on her forearms, and holding her down to the ground as she lowered her lips slowly to Lenalee's arm, and bit down, causing Lenalee to gasp in pain as Lou Fa began to drink her blood, swallowing down gulp after heavy gulp as she did so. Before Lou Fa knew it, though, Lenalee was screaming, and everyone was watching. Finally, Kanda managed to restrain her, and Lenalee used her Dark Boots to knock her unconscious.

Leverrier then walked forward and looked down at Lou Fa, who was lying on the ground, looking as though she were merely sleeping. The cold inspector then looked at Lenalee expectantly, who sighed and lifted Lou Fa off of the ground and carried her down with Leverrier to the holding cells in the Order's foundation, deep beneath the streets of London.

"H-huh?" Lou Fa moaned as she sat up, feeling a soft surface beneath her, but seeing no light. She could see just fine, but it was all black and white, and not very clear at all. She needed her glasses, but they were nowhere to be found. Lou Fa leapt out of her bed, and ran over to the iron door and pounded loudly on it.

"LET ME OUT!" She shrieked. "LET ME OUT OF HERE! I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!" She cried, tears forming in her eyes. She couldn't even remember why she was there, or what had happened up until then. She was talking to Lenalee, and then Lenalee cut herself. After that, she remembered only that she was direly thirsty, and that she… Had attacked Lenalee.

"Oh no! W-what have I done? I-I'm a monster!" Lou Fa gasped, sliding down to the floor and putting a small, pale hand on her forehead. Her skin was cool to the touch, but not slick with sweat at all, or wet as if water had been poured on her. Slowly, she began to rock back and forth, muttering words meant to comfort herself, but which only served to make her feel worse. Finally, she couldn't stop herself anymore, and she began to cry in earnest, large tears of pain, misery, and terror flooding her eyes, and spilling over onto her porcelain cheeks. Why did this have to happen to her? Was God punishing her for sleeping with Allen? Was God testing her faith? Maybe she just needed to stay strong and prove to God that she deserved her Innocence, that she deserved to be one of God's chosen warriors, answerable only to the pope and God himself. Finally, she began shrieking incoherently, letting out long, anguished screams of rage and hatred, and pain.

After a while, it seemed that nobody would come, so she stopped screaming, now just whispering madly to herself, hardly able to think straight. She had denied herself blood for days and days, and so she went into a state of bloodlust and attacked her best friend, the girl who stood by her, even after she found out about what happened with Allen, the one who made her feel better after they woke up in the infirmary together. The one who saved her life, almost at the cost of her own. A fine way to repay a friend… Lou Fa thought to herself, groaning, and beginning to bang her head on the door of the cell, hoping that another concussion would knock her unconscious again. Maybe then she could truly forget that any of this had happened and go back to being blissfully unaware. Just as she was about to hit her head for a fifth time, though, the door slammed open, smashing Lou Fa on top of her head, and sending her flying across the cell and hitting the back wall.

When she sat up, there before her was none other than Lenalee Lee, looking worried and yet happy to see Lou Fa. The tall, beautiful exorcist ran over to Lou Fa and hugged her tightly. At first, Lou Fa wanted to hug Lenalee back, but then she felt that same pang in the back of her throat, a sort of spark in the back of her head. She was thirsty again, and this time, they were in an enclosed cell. There wasn't much room, and as much as Lou Fa hated thinking that way, she was afraid that she was physically stronger than Lenalee. So, she shoved Lenalee off of her, and scurried back across the room. Lenalee looked at her, shocked at her sudden display of animosity.

"W-what…"

"You can't come near me! You have to leave! NOW!" Lou Fa yelled at Lenalee, pointing at the door.

"What's wrong, Lou Fa!"

"I don't want to hurt you again! Oh, God! I'm so afraid of hurting someone! I don't understand what's happening to me, or why! I feel like only Allen can explain this to me, but I'm terrified to talk to him! I know he's a monster… but what does that make me! I don't trust myself to be around other pe…"

"St…"

"Why are you even here! Aren't you angry at me! Don't you hate me! I attacked you! I bit you and drained your blood! I could have killed you! I could have turned you into a vampire!" Lou Fa continued raving, paying no attention to Lenalee trying to stop her. Finally, though, Lenalee grabbed her and forced her against the wall, staring Lou Fa right in the eyes. Lou Fa refused to meet her gaze, though.

"L-Lenalee…"

"No! Stop, now! Lou Fa, I'm not angry, and I don't hate you. No matter what happens, you'll always be important to me. I couldn't hate you if I wanted to. Just calm down…" Lenalee said, hugging Lou Fa again. This time, she didn't resist, and the two stayed like that for a moment, until Lou Fa pulled away and forced a weak smile for Lenalee.

"D-do you… think I'm going to be down here for much longer? I-I'm not sure if I can take it… I-I'm really thir… I mean… scared."

"Oh, well, you can drink some more of my blood if you like…" Lenalee said with a bright smile. At the mere thought, though, Lou Fa stiffened.

"W-what! I-I could never do that to you! I wouldn't…"

"Lou Fa! Stop! If you don't drink blood when you're supposed to, you'll black out again! Just drink…" Lenalee said, unbuttoning the first few buttons of her Exorcist shirt, and baring her neck, tilting her head to the side so that Lou Fa could drink some blood.

"Lenalee, are you…"

"Yes, I'm sure! Just do it…" Lenalee demanded, pulling her collar down a bit more. Lou Fa groaned, able to smell Lenalee's blood already. She gently pressed her two fingers to Lenalee's Carotid, feeling for the artery where she could bite down and get the most blood. It was an almost sensual process, with both girls feeling strangely awkward, yet slightly aroused at the dark contact between them. Slowly… ever so slowly, she lowered her lips to Lenalee's neck and pushed her fangs into the artery, at which Lenalee gasped, but gritted her teeth and waited for the pain to subside. As it did, and Lou Fa began to drink Lenalee's blood, Lenalee began to feel a dizzy, manic rush, unexplainable, as the hot blood rushed from her body into Lou Fa's mouth. Lenalee and Lou Fa alike could hear Lenalee's heart pounding in their ears, as though it were working triple time, although for what reason, they knew not. It was a sensational, ecstatic few moments as Lou Fa drained Lenalee of her blood, until finally Lou Fa pulled away, and Lenalee looked at her curiously.

"Do you feel better, now?" Lenalee asked, not scared at all of Lou Fa, but rather concerned for the girl's health. Lou Fa nodded weakly, and hugged Lenalee tightly, not letting go this time, hot tears pressing tightly against the corners of her eyes. It seemed that crying was all that she could do these days. But if she was undead, why did she still have the ability to cry? It wasn't like it was necessary for her continued existence.

"Lou Fa, don't go there."

"W-where?"

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking 'why me? Does God really hate me so much?' I felt the same way when I first joined the Order. I hated them. I hated God for the burden that he had forced on me. Now I know, though, that he was only testing me, making me stronger. Now God is testing you, Lou Fa. You need to find your own strength, your own reason for living. When you find it, you'll realize just why you have the powers that you do, and what you need to use them for."

"When did you figure out the answer?"

"Me? It was a few years back, shortly after we stole the Ark and the Egg from the Earl, and Lulubell, a Noah, and a level 4 Akuma infiltrated Main HQ. My Innocence wasn't working for me at the time, and I was thus incapacitated. Allen and the others were fighting so hard to defeat the level 4, with no success, and something that Leverrier said sparked in me, and made me realize that God gave me the Innocence for a reason. I had never wanted that Innocence before, but suddenly, I felt a desperate desire to use it to save my friends, and so I merged with it again, and it just… evolved. It seemed like a miracle. Hopefully your life won't have to be put in jeopardy for you to realize what your purpose here is, though. But I have to get going. I snuck out on the rest of the Generals, and they're probably wondering where I am. I promise I'll visit you again tomorrow."

"Don't make promises you can't keep…" Lou Fa said dismally, sitting back down, obviously disappointed that Lenalee was leaving.

Lenalee sighed and tried to smile for Lou Fa, but found it hard as she walked out, knowing that as long as she could leave and Lou Fa couldn't, it was almost impossible to try to be friends. Lenalee shut the door, though, leaving Lou Fa in darkness and despair once more. Finally, Lou Fa had no more reason to stay awake, so she lay down and closed her eyes, finding that though she was a vampire, sleep came easily to her.

"Lou Fa…" came a gentle, and kind sounding whisper in the small vampire's ear.

"Mmff… Not now…" she muttered, waving the voice away.

"Lou Fa, wake up…" the voice came again. This time, it was more urgent, but no less gentle, for it.

"Lou Fa!" Came a sharp whisper, causing the young exorcist to shoot up in her bed and look around frantically, her eyes finally resting on Allen in his Dark Order coat, his white hair as beautiful as ever, and the curse scar across his perfect gray eyes as clear as day. It had all been a dream, a nightmare. She was just having a nightmare and Allen had heard her and woken her up. Maybe she could sit and talk with him for a while. He would listen. He was just that kind of person.

"Allen-kun! I'm so glad to see you!" Lou Fa cried, throwing her arms around him. Allen smiled and hugged Lou Fa back, holding her for a moment.

"I knew it couldn't be real! It was terrifying, though!"

"What was terrifying, Lou Fa?" Allen asked innocently.

"M-my nightmare! I had a nightmare that you turned evil, and started reviving the Noah Clan and turning them into vampires, and that I also became a vampire because… I-I can't say!"

"Lou Fa, that really did happen, except, you're wrong on one account. I'm not evil. God is the evil one. I am here to help you…" Allen whispered gently, running a finger lightly down Lou Fa's cheek, causing her to shiver."

"W-why should I trust you!" Lou Fa shrieked, finally realizing what had happened and shoving Allen away from her, jumping back at the same time.

"You're actually quite right _not_ to trust me. I did some truly unforgiveable things to you. I suppose that I didn't fully think about the far reaching consequences of my actions. I only ever intended to seduce information out of you. I never meant to turn you into a vampire yourself. See, the Order paints me as a nihilistic monster. I'm not though. I have morals and values, just like any other human. You just haven't heard my side of the story. I came here tonight to offer my version of events. I understand if you don't want to hear it. If not, I'll leave. Unfortunately, the war will have to continue whether you listen or not, because as a whole, the Order never will listen. They've spread their propaganda for so long that they've truly deluded themselves into believing what they talk about."

"Y-you promise not to hurt anyone in the Order tonight?" Lou Fa asked suspiciously. Allen nodded.

"Of course. My sole reason for coming was to make amends with you. You may still hate me, but at least, you'll hate me in a more informed manner."

"Shake on it!"

"What?"

"Shake hands! Promise you won't harm anyone here tonight and shake hands with me!" Lou Fa said harshly, drawing her own blood and holding out her hand. Fortunately for her, Allen didn't notice her cutting her own hand, and he smiled.

"I promise to in no way harm anyone here tonight…" he said, grasping Lou Fa's hand, but then yanking it away, as she pricked him, drawing his blood, the final necessary component to seal the pact. Just as he had forced her silence before, so too did she force his peaceful compliance with her terms.

"Okay. You got me. However, you now have to listen. The bargain goes two ways. Place your forehead against mine. That way, you can see perfectly what I see."

Lou Fa cautiously approached Allen again, and placed her forehead up against his. Suddenly, she gasped as vivid Lovecraftian images of true horror, hatred, betrayal, and agony seared through her mind, retelling in graphic detail the events as Adam remembered them happening. Allen gripped Lou Fa's head to keep her from pulling away, because that would end the contact, and he couldn't allow that. She grimaced and writhed in place as the images became more and more savage and bizarre, and as the hatred and pain grew stronger and stronger until she was literally screaming, trying desperately to pull away, but succeeding only in causing a fuss. Allen kept her head firmly pressed against his until the memories were done, at which time, he released her head, and she shot back, slamming her back against the wall. As she stood up, she groaned. The acute pain was gone, but there was a feeling of discontent and illness that followed. She was drenched now in a cold sweat, just as Allen had been that night that he first had the dream.

"I-is that what really happened?" Lou Fa gasped, putting a hand over her non-functional heart.

"As I said, it is my side of the story, the story as I learned it from the original Adam, which would be the Earl himself. The Earl, as you may know, had a knack for spinning the truth in a manner that was convenient for him. I don't deny that part of my heritage. However, the Noah are compelled supernaturally to follow the Earl's beliefs. You are not, though. It's up to you to decide how you feel about this. You have plenty of time to think, after all… Oh, speaking of which, I came to bail you out. The Order has no right to lock you up for being a vampire. In the past, they have used Akuma/Human hybrids as Exorcists, and thus used Dark Matter to their own advantage. They cannot, therefore, lock you up for being a vampire, as you are also sustained by Dark Matter. This is a comprehensive tome on vampires and vampirism. It has a list of almost all possible vampiric powers, and every vampire of import in history, including several that have worked for the Dark Order, and in fact, coexisted quite nicely with their… er… proactive… way of doing things. I suggest you study up and take it before Inspector Leverrier. He had a part in using vampires in the past, although he'd like to wash his hands of it, I'm sure. I imagine that a little blackmail could make him more open to your point of view. Goodbye for now, though. Oh, and I wouldn't suggest that you tell Miss Lee about me when she shows up again tomorrow. It may cause… complications."

"H-how did you know that Lenalee…"

"The more advanced one becomes as a vampire, the more they begin to be able to distinguish subtle smells in the blood of others, and you, my dear, have drops of Lenalee's blood on your jacket. Don't worry, it's black, so nobody will notice, but I would suggest finding someone else who is also amenable to allowing you to drink their blood. Perhaps you could seduce Lavi and get him to do it…"

"What! I-I would never do something so horrible!"

"Why not? What's so horrible about it? Sex doesn't have to be about love. It can be about business."

"I'm pretty sure Lavi-san is smart enough to see through that."

"You'd be surprised how often Lavi's brains can take a backseat to his libido. Did I ever tell you about the time that he started hitting on an Akuma in human skin? Or about the time that he hit on Lulubell, before he knew she was a Noah?"

For a moment, Lou Fa wasn't quite sure what to say, standing there with a dull expression on her face, sweatdropping slightly.

"I see. Perhaps it would be all too easy."

"You just need to know who is softest toward your condition, and everything else will fall into place."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lou Fa didn't understand fully why Allen was helping her. He could have easily just left her to die, to be destroyed by this unfair, unjust inquisition that they were mounting against her. Instead, though, he brought her a book that would help her win a seemingly unwinnable case. Did he have feelings for her, after all? Well, perhaps that was a bit too much to hope for. Maybe he just wasn't as much of a monster as he had previously led the others to believe. He did some horrible things, and she was sure that he had no intention of stopping. However, maybe he was more human than he let on. And what had he meant by "softest toward her condition". Was he talking about manipulating those who would be most understanding toward her? It seemed a deplorable thing to do, and yet, it seemed that she had no choice. It was true that the Dark Order was a vast web of connections, whether through obsession, love, or chain of command.

First, though, she opened the book that Allen had given her and looked through it. It was a fascinating book. Apparently, vampires had been around for as long as humans, first created from the union between Adam and Lilith. Although Adam was human, Lilith was divine, and thus, affected her child such that it would be a more powerful version of a human. Of course, nothing could be perfect, and therefore, Vampires relied on the blood of humans to survive. The first vampire was known by many names, but the earliest name that he could be identified by in modern days was Dagon, and was worshipped by the Mesopotamians as a God of destruction and blood. They noticed that those whom he bit, and who received his blood in return became more like him, and thus, they believed that they were the chosen people of Dagon, and were to be deeply respected and feared.

The Hindus didn't directly worship him, but believed him to be an avatar of Kali, the destroyer. They saw his coming, and the ensuing chaos that reigned in his wake as a sign that Kali was displeased, and they thus afforded him every luxury and desire for which he wished. Although there are many holes in Dracula's history, the next time he was noted to show up was in the Aztec Empire. They saw his greatness, and his near invincibility as a sign that he was the flesh and blood manifestation of one of the gods, and although Dracula refused to reveal which god he was, they began to offer him regular human sacrifices. Thus, Dracula built up an army of lesser vampires.

When the Europeans invaded, they were almost destroyed by Dracula's army, but they discovered that sunlight and silver were highly dangerous for the vampires, and used that to their advantage, thus conquering the Aztecs.

After that, Dracula disappeared for centuries, but was rumored to show up in Britain in the mid 1800s. Bram Stoker and his ally Van Hellsing battled valiantly, and believed that they had destroyed him. However, they had only forced him to retreat, and plot anew.

Dracula was purported to be disgusted with the level to which vampires had fallen, seeing the only hope for the vampire race in the Noah Clan. Thus, he enticed Allen Walker to become a vampire, and thus, planted it in his head that he could make the rest of the clan more powerful by doing the same with them.

Lou Fa gasped. That meant that Arturo Kamelot was actually Dracula himself, the most powerful and ancient vampire in existence. Against the likes of him, no exorcist would stand a chance. That was interesting, of course, but completely beside the point, and so, she went on to read the next chapter, which was about Vampires within the Catholic Church.

"The mere state of vampirism, although widely loathed and feared as an abomination, is not a crime in the Catholic Church. In fact, the church itself has used vampires all throughout history in order to achieve goals that were believed to be humanly impossible. In the past, Innocence has even bonded with vampires, thus making them exorcists. The Dark Order has experimented with vampires, making them more powerful, and more able to combat the Akuma and the Noah Family. Although such research is obsolete, now, because you have discovered that using akuma DNA makes for less volatile and more obedient lapdogs, this should not mean that you should dismiss the idea of using vampires to your own benefit, as you have done so often in the past!" Lou Fa said loudly and clearly before the court. In the public seating, half the Order was watching, mouths agape, unable to believe what they were hearing. Lou Fa was usually such a quiet girl. But now, she was talking with such conviction, and passion. The panel of judges before her talked amongst themselves for a while, before speaking again to Lou Fa.

"Very well, Lou Fa. The court has decided that you may remain an exorcist for now. Be mindful, though, that if you begin to show yourself to be dangerous, we will eliminate you!"

"I understand."

Lou Fa sighed in deep relief as she stepped down off of the stand. Her arguments had been confrontational at best, and not at all guaranteed to work. The Catholic church had been known to be extremely hypocritical in the past, and there was not a thing stopping them from doing the same thing this time. The problem was that the Vatican never seemed to learn from their mistakes. As Lou Fa went along in the Order, she was starting to seriously question whether the Noah Clan was as bad as they were made out to be. It was true that they committed some serious atrocities against humanity, so in that sense, they were certainly extreme. But did that make them evil? Evil was defined by intent, at least as Lou Fa understood the term. Therefore, if one truly believed that they were doing the right thing, and had good intentions behind it, could it really be considered evil? Certainly the Noah Family was Machiavellian, believing very much in the ends justifying the means. Evil, though? It was debatable. Whereas even if the Dark Order was working toward a "noble" cause, they were using horrible tactics to do so. Human experimentation, combining human and Akuma DNA, torturing and killing those who went against the church. Those were not the acts of righteous people, not the methods that God would have had his church using.

Meanwhile, Allen was having a bit of a crisis of his own. Ever since he talked to Lou Fa, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had somehow gone wrong, and that he was not where he was supposed to be. Ever since he got back, he had locked himself in his room, and refused to talk to anyone, even Road, who had been trying to get him to open up a bit. He wasn't sure why he didn't want to talk to Road. Maybe he was afraid that she would laugh at him. Maybe he feared rejection. Either way, though, he refused to let Road in, and now, he just sat on his bed, deep in thought, muttering to himself, not out of madness, but trying to sort out his own thoughts. He had tried talking out loud, writing, and drinking his problems away. The last one went fine until he realized that he was a vampire, and thus, could not get drunk. Then he thought about the statement he had just made and felt like he was becoming as bad as his master, Cross… And that was pretty bad. He _never_ wanted to become like the man who would hit on any eligible (age 14-40) female with a pulse and a bottle of wine. At this thought, he groaned, and fell back on his bed, kicking randomly, and punching his pillow, feeling very much like a child.

When next he sat up, though, a tall, blonde woman with dark sunglasses was standing next to him, seemingly waiting for him to finish rolling around like an infant. She didn't look condescending, or irritated, though. On the contrary, she looked concerned and sympathetic. She went over to him, pulled up a chair backwards, draping her arms over the back of the chair and sitting down, removing her sunglasses. Without them, she had striking blue eyes, and looked so beautiful that Allen could have mistaken her for a member of a royal family. He didn't really know much about Lulubell, actually. He knew enough about the other Noahs, especially Tyki Mikk, Road, Ayberk, Artemis, and Cyril, but some of the others, he was sorry to say, never really tried to catch his attention. They merely followed his orders when given, and otherwise stayed relatively quiet.

"Hey, Lulubell. I always wondered. Is Lulubell your first name, or is Lulu your first name, and Bell your last name?" Allen asked dully. He then looked over at the door.

"Feel free to come in, Road. There's nothing going on." He droned as Road opened the door and slunk in, pulling up a chair next to Lulubell's, although her arms didn't quite reach over the back of the chair, and so, she wrapped them around the back, grabbing the opposite ends with her hands, sighing and smiling sympathetically at Allen.

"What's wrong, Allen? You've been in your room for three days. You haven't had any blood, wine, or anything."

"I'm just not in the mood. I'm facing a bit of an identity crisis, and I'm not quite sure what to do."

"Is that all?" Lulubell asked, arching a single graceful eyebrow.

"What do you mean 'is that all!' This is serious! I feel like shit and I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing anymore!"

"Sorry, master. I meant no disrespect…" Lulubell said politely. Allen sighed.

"Please stop calling me that! Call me Allen! Even my enemies still call me Allen, if I can even call them my enemies…"

"Is that what this is about, Allen-kun? You're wondering if what you're doing is wrong?" Road asked with a giggle, standing and jumping up on the bed, straddling Allen and grabbing his collar, pulling him into a gentle, and loving kiss with her, wrapping her arms loosely around him, allowing him opportunity to stop her if he wanted to. When he didn't, though, she stopped kissing him, but continued the embrace. Allen sat on his bed, feeling slightly better now that he had someone to talk to. It seemed like both of them at least knew what they were talking about.

"Try not to think of what we do in terms of right and wrong. Those are mortal concepts, Allen-kun. I understand that it's hard at first to let go of your mortal perceptions, especially so soon after you become a Noah. I had trouble, too, and after I killed my first human, I was horrified at what I had done. There was blood all over the place, even on my clothes and my skin. People had gathered around me and were screaming in terror. But the Earl assured me that there was nothing wrong with what I had done. That we were in a war, and that during war, all sides suffered casualties."

"Don't compare me to the Earl!" Allen shouted, shoving Road off of him, causing her to tumble down his bed and land unceremoniously on the floor at its foot. "I'm _nothing_ like him! He was a monster! He wanted to destroy humanity!"

"Allen!" Lulubell said sternly, standing and grabbing Allen before he could stand up and forcing him to sit back down. She then stared hard into his eyes, refusing to allow him to break eye contact.

"Stop! You know that I have only the greatest respect for you as the heir to Adam's will! But you're refusing to see what's right in front of you! It doesn't matter if you've become fond of an exorcist in the Black Order! It doesn't matter that you were once best friends with Lenalee. It doesn't matter that Cross used to be your master, or that Kanda is a good person despite how he acts! We as Noah are compelled to kill Exorcists whenever and wherever we can. You have allowed yourself to be taken in by one of the more naïve exorcists because you feel guilty about having deceived her like you did! I won't pass judgment on what you did to her, but you need to get over it, because next time you see her, it will be in battle, and whether or not you can bring yourself to hurt her, I assure you that she will be able to bring herself to hurt you! This is the nature of war, deal with it!"

"Road, L-Lulubell… I-I'm sorry…"

Road sighed and jumped back up onto the bed and sat down on Allen's legs again, hugging him. She hadn't wanted to be so harsh, but apparently, Lulubell was more proactive than she had let on in the past.

"Please excuse my rudeness, Master…" Lulubell said quietly, bowing and walking from the room, shutting the door behind her.

"What do you think, Road?" Allen asked quietly, unable to smile this time, but turning toward Road and holding her hands gently in both of his.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think I've gone soft? Do you think I'm stupid? Have you lost your respect for me?" Allen asked, firing these questions at Road gloomily as though the answers would crush him whether they were favorable or not.

"Allen," Road said softly, putting a hand on Allen's shoulder. She sometimes forgot that underneath his friendly, but somewhat evil exterior, he was extremely sensitive… even if he was a vampire, and the Earl.

"You've _always_been soft, so how could you have gone soft? You aren't stupid. You're just of a kinder nature than the Earl, and I'll never lose my respect for you. I had respect for you before you became a Noah, when we were still enemies. I loved you then… and I love you now," she said quietly, putting a hand gently on Allen's cheek. Allen looked longingly into Road's beautiful blue eyes, and Road stared back into Allen's icy blue ones. She sighed, smiling at Allen as she settled herself next to him, pressing her body up against his, not being flirtatious, or asking for sex, but just enjoying being in such close proximity with Allen. Of late, she had been feeling a rift opening between them, like a wedge had been hammered between them and their relationship torn asunder. Now, though, that she understood why he was becoming so distant, she had a better idea of how to help him.

"Allen, as great as you are as a Noah, you still think so much like an Exorcist," Road said with a mysterious smile, shaking her head slightly and giggling.

"W-what do you mean?"

"You think in such concrete, black and white terms. To you, although you are a Noah, you feel that we have to be monsters. As I have told you before, our ideals are not the ideals of the Church, and that scares them. The methods we use are not theirs. And they hate that. By telling you that the Noah aren't necessarily evil, I am implicitly telling you that the Order is not necessarily good. They call themselves men and women of God, but look at what they are willing to do to silence opposition. They were going to execute Lou Fa because she was a vampire. She got off on a technicality that you practically handed her. Naturally, they were suspicious, and still, they watch her to make sure that she does not err from their narrowly defined path of righteousness. But are we any better? We murder and dominate, lie and steal in order to accomplish our ends. So who, I ask is the lesser evil? Who would God want to come out on top? Will God intervene on that side's behalf, and grant them victory over the other? Who can say? Maybe God has forsaken both our groups, and both of us are now simply the Devil's plaything. But what of it? We still fight for what we believe, and they fight for what they believe. We will never agree, but that doesn't mean that we have to hate them, or that we have to enjoy killing them. It simply means that in the end, one of us won't be here. On the cosmic scale, in the archives of the Bookman clan, maybe this long goddamn war will end up being just a footnote in the greater perspective. Who knows? Who cares? Do you understand, Allen?"

"I do. Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Just try to start smiling again. Seeing you depressed makes me feel downcast as well."

"Okay."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Six

None of the four players involved in the battle could have predicted that they would run into each other. Road and Allen, run into Lou Fa and Lenalee. Who would have suspected such a thing? As such, Allen and Road were completely unprepared, and Lou Fa and Lenalee were so shocked that they could barely speak.

"A-Allen!" Lou Fa gasped. After a moment, Allen regained his composure and nodded politely.

"Hello, Lou Fa. Hello, Lenalee. It's good to see you again. I trust all went well with the trial?"

Lenalee looked between Allen and Lou Fa, wondering how he could possibly know about the trial that Lou Fa had just faced. Lou Fa blushed slightly and nodded.

"Y-yes. Thanks t-to you…"

"To him!" Lenalee shrieked. "He's the reason you're a goddamn vampire in the first place! How could he possibly have helped one bit!"

"I think th-this is why he didn't want you to know, Lenalee. P-please don't be angry. After you left on the first night of my imprisonment, Allen showed up, and said that he had not intended to turn me into a vampire."

"He _apologized_ to you!" She asked disgustedly, glaring at Allen, feeling sure that he was just trying to manipulate Lou Fa again.

"How much lower can you possibly get, Allen!"

"No. He didn't apologize to me. He specifically told me that an apology wouldn't mean anything coming from him. Instead, he gave me a book, that although it was thin and lightweight, had thousands of pages worth of history and information on vampires, including vampires that had been in the employ of the Dark Order. He said that if I read the book, I would know what to do. He asked me not to tell you, because it could cause problems. He told me about the easiest ways to get blood without causing a scene. The book helped a lot, Allen. Th-thank you. I have it, by the way." She said quietly, pulling a small volume out of her pocket and offering it to Allen.

"You can keep it. I've already memorized the contents, and hopefully, you can learn a little bit about your vampiric powers by reading through it…"

"ENOUGH! _You're_ supposed to be the evil ones! Why the hell would you help Lou Fa! The last Earl never helped an exorcist! He made it easy to distinguish between the good guys and the bad guys! The Noahs were _always_ evil, and the exorcists were _always_ good! End of story! It's going to stay that way, too! I won't have this fucking war become any more complicated than it has to be!" Lenalee shrieked, her face red with rage.

"Wow. Okay. We're the bad guys. How's that for simple?" Allen said with a polite, placating smile. How about this. We can't just allow you to leave here without even trying to kill you, right, Road-chan?" he asked, looking slyly at Road, who smirked and nodded, waving her arm and causing the world around them to disappear, leaving them all standing in midair in the pitch black. They could all see just fine, though, due to the candles that were lit sporadically around the area. All around them, human sized dolls began standing up and taking knives, clubs, and other weapons out, and advancing toward Lou Fa and Lenalee. First, a female doll attacked, going into a whirlwind. This doll had six arms, though, and one knife in each hand, so that the whirlwind looked as though glinting steel blades were sticking out of it. Lou Fa and Lenalee dodged to the side, managing to get out of the way in time, but then the doll released all of the blades, sending them flying in all directions. One slashed Lenalee's arm slightly, causing her to gasp in pain, and the rest flew off harmlessly, and disappeared from sight.

Lenalee took in deep breaths as she stood again, and activated her Dark Boots. This time, she was ready. Lou Fa activated her Abjura, and split it into two, sending one flying at Road, and the other hovered around her, protecting her from incoming attacks. In the time since she had first become an exorcist, she had gained great control over her Innocence, proving to be one of the fastest learners Klaud Nyne had ever seen. Even Cross was impressed, and he was hard to impress.

"Road…" Allen whispered. "Go to the right, and flash behind Lenalee. She's fast, so she'll see it coming, but then I can take her back."

"Got it. Can I at least try to cut her? That damn pretty face of hers has always pissed me off!" Road pouted. Allen groaned, and nodded.

"Go ahead. Try not to scar her too badly. We want her to be presentable for her funeral at the Dark Order."

"No promises, babe…" Road snickered, and flashed away, appearing behind Lou Fa, distracting her first, then she flashed again, throwing a knife at Lenalee's side, which she easily dodged, but then was taken by surprise at her back by Road, who flashed a third time, and slid a knife out just as Lenalee turned around, having felt her hair stand on end behind her. At that moment, though, she gasped as she heard Allen say "Goodbye, Lenalee-chan…" in a taunting voice. She closed her eyes, knowing that she was about to die… But then… The death blow didn't come. Allen had stalled for some reason. Road looked at him expectantly, but he couldn't seem to make himself attack her. As quickly as Allen had been on her back, he retreated, grabbing Road while he was at it, and dragging her along.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! YOU HAD THE PERFECT FUCKING OPPORTUNITY TO KILL THAT FUCKING BITCH, AND YOU PASSED IT THE FUCK UP!"

"I-I can't explain it. The moment I drew my knife, I was ready to stab her in the back, but something in my mind told me that this wasn't how the old me would have wanted to win."

"This again! You _aren't_ the old Allen anymore! You're a Noah, not an exorcist! Morality, chivalry, etiquette… Those concepts don't apply to you!"

"But why _shouldn't_ they? Why should the Noah not be bound by the same rules as everyone else? What is so special about us that we should not have to feel our conscience nagging at us to do the right thing? Lenalee was my friend. Lou Fa was my friend. I've already betrayed them. I don't think I can add insult to injury by going and killing them next. I-I'm sorry…" Allen said, tears coming to his eyes for the first time in what seemed like years. He stopped by a bench on the beach, and sat down, cradling his head in his hands, rocking gently back and forth, trying to calm his troubled mind.

"Allen…" Road whispered to her lover, sitting down next to him and pushing his long hair out of his face so that she could look into his eyes clearly.

"Allen. Do you remember when I first kidnapped you, and held you hostage? You called me a monster, and told me that I didn't have the right to call myself a human anymore. Do you remember what I said in response?"

"Y-you said that you didn't choose to become a Noah. That Noah chose you, and that once Noah had chosen you, you couldn't refuse."

"That's right. Just like Noah chose me, Noah also chose you. You were destined to become a Noah, and to carry on the Earl's will. I don't know if we're supposed to win or lose this war, but I know that the time will come when the Noah Clan once more will face the Dark Order, and this is destined to happen over and over again for eternity. Do you know why?"

"W-why?"

"Because no matter how many times the Earl is killed, he will be reincarnated inside the one who killed him. The Earl only theorized on this, of course, having never tested it properly. It came true, though, when you were reborn as the new Millennium Earl."

"You're right, Road. The Earl _was_ destined to continue to be reborn over and over. That's impossible, now, though. After all, the Earl is literally a dead man walking."

"You're talking in riddles."

"Arturo turned me into a vampire, correct? And then I turned you all into vampires. That means that all of us died, but since we were reanimated before our spirits could move on to the next person destined to follow our path, the Noah's spirit is gone, but their powers remain. That means that although we have never been more powerful, we also have never been more vulnerable. If one of us is destroyed, they are gone forever. If I am destroyed, Noah's connection to all of you is lost, and since that connection freezes time for you, you will cease to be vampires, and will no longer have your Noah powers. You will all become normal humans once more. Interestingly, there's no hope of me ever being human again. I'm doomed. But you all still have a chance to live out human lives as the humans that you once were."

"Allen… H-how long have you known this?" Road asked, looking both awed, and terrified.

"Not long… Maybe a month or so. I first thought about it after Christmas, when Kanda decapitated me. But I dismissed it. But then I went back over the process of the Earl's powers being transferred to me, and I realized that my powers were connected to all of yours quite completely. As long as Adam has a _living_ representative in this world, the Noah Family cannot perish. However, vampires aren't living. They are undead. Animated corpses. Are you angry at me, Road?"

For a moment, Road didn't say anything, and Allen didn't prompt her again. Instead, he merely sat, staring at the moon's passage across the sky. It was particularly beautiful that night, almost full, but not quite, and the sky was completely dark, and so the stars shone brightly as though the floor of heaven had small holes in it, and the bright light was shining through. Finally, Road spoke.

"No. I'm not angry. I'm a little bit frightened. I don't know what I would do without you, Allen. Even though we haven't been together long, the prospect of life without you terrifies me."

"Road… I have something that I want to give you. I've held onto it for a while, maybe out of a vain hope that as long as I kept it, that my humanity wasn't completely lost… It seems kind of silly, now, though, and it sort of depresses me, now. Maybe you'll like it more than I do." Allen said quietly, reaching into his pocket and taking out his silver Dark Order badge and handing it to Road. She gasped and stared at him for a moment. She had been sure that he had disposed of his jacket and badge long ago. Perhaps that was just her fooling herself, though.

"Thank you, Allen. I love it," she said simply, taking the badge and putting it in her pocket just as Lou Fa and Lenalee approached them and sat down.

"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Lenalee said lamely. Allen sighed and nodded, not quite sure what to make of this most bizarre situation. Lou Fa and Lenalee were supposed to be searching for Innocence, but had abandoned the search to talk to two Noahs, whereas Allen and Road were supposed to be contacting the newest Noah, but they, too had abandoned the search to be with Lou Fa and Lenalee.

"Lou Fa?" Road said quietly. Lou Fa looked at her, not quite meeting her eyes. She still remembered all those comments that Road made about her.

"I'm sorry that I insulted you like I did. Maybe I was just jealous."

"It's okay. I really should thank you two. If it hadn't been for you and Allen, I would never have become an exorcist, and I'd probably still be wallowing in self pity. It feels odd to be thanking a Noah, but thank you. You've done more for me than you could possibly know."

"How are Kanda and Lavi doing? Miranda, Krory?" Allen asked. Lenalee looked over at him and smiled sympathetically.

"Well, Lavi's getting on. Kanda and Nii-san still haven't quite worked out their differences. Miranda is… Well, she's Miranda and Krory is doing really well. But what's gotten into you Allen. It's almost like we have the old Allen back." Lenalee said, still staring at the silvery moon up above them.

"I'm not sure. It's like there's something wrong with me. I'm feeling really confused right now about what side I'm supposed to be on."

And so they sat on in silence for a few more minutes before, one by one, they all stood up and went their separate ways. It was a short meeting, and to most, it would seem nearly inconsequential, but to the four involved, it meant more than anyone could know.

"Glin, sweetheart… Are you sure you won't come to bed?" said a beautiful, auburn haired woman, stepping out of the shadows wearing nightclothes, and taking Glin's arm.

"Positive. I must wait for some friends of mine to come, dear…" Glin said, turning around and kissing his wife. Glin was a good man, and he wasn't sure why he had been chosen to be a Noah, as he had never been religious in the past, and he had never done anything to indicate that he had a grudge against God. And yet, the memories of the Eclipse of Noah awoke in him weeks before, and he had been waiting ever since for the Earl to appear to him and bring him away. He even had children, but he knew that as long as he was a Noah, that he could never be a proper father. He had two sons, and a daughter. The eldest was his daughter, and she was 12. Then his sons were 10 and 6. He felt bad about leaving them, but knew full well that he had to fulfill his destiny.

"I suppose I shall stay up with you, then. I wouldn't want to miss these important friends of yours…" she said with a sigh, walking over to the couch in the greeting room and sitting down. As soon as she did, though, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it…" Glin said with a smile, striding over to the door and opening it, and seeing to his surprise that it wasn't a tall, portly man standing before him, but a thin, white haired boy, and a tiny girl in the oddest clothing he had ever seen.

"Can I help you?" He asked politely, raising an eyebrow. He was shocked that two children would come to call on him after midnight.

"How rude of me. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Allen Walker. This is Road Kamelot. It is good to finally meet the new Eclipse of Noah."

"That still doesn't explain who you are. Shouldn't the Earl be here?"

"Oh, well, Allen is the Earl…" Road said with a giggle as she walked past Glin right into his house, not waiting for permission. Glin looked at her briefly as she sat down in one of his comfy armchairs.

"Please excuse us. May I come in?"

"Oh… Of course. This is my wife, Belinda. I'm actually surprised. I sort of thought the Earl would be bigger."

"Yeah. I get that a lot." Allen said with a laugh, much to Road's surprise.

"So, this is the Innocence, huh?" Lou Fa asked quietly, picking up the white cube, and putting it in her pocket. Lenalee nodded briefly. It had been a short trip, but nothing short of incredible, given that they had run into Allen and Road, first battled with them, then had a civil conversation with them. It had been pleasant, being able to talk to Allen again. Lenalee wasn't sure, now, if she could really hate them. Granted, they had done some bad things, but they were merely fighting for what they believed in, and after all, what more could one do in life? They had found the Innocence, though, and so, they started heading back toward the hotel, fully ready to go back to the Order in the morning.

A/N: I have enjoyed writing this story. I know that I've said this before, but this is likely one of my best works to date (although that probably isn't saying much). I'm hoping to end this soon. I'm going to try to make it exactly thirty chapters… I like even numbers… I'm weird like that, so sue me. The last chapter probably will not include Allen at all, mainly being an afterward. So, thank you to everyone who has been with me so far, and, GOOD NIGHT!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The air, it seemed, was oozing war. It was the thought that was on everyone's mind, from the Exorcist generals to the entire Noah Family. They all knew that war was imminent, What they did not know was who would win. Both the Noah, and the Order were making great strides in preparing. The Clan of Noah was more powerful than it had ever been, and closer than ever before as well, bound not only by their shared memories, but also through Allen's vampiric bloodline. Meanwhile, the R&D Department was trying to figure out what they could do with all the Innocence that didn't have a host. Obviously, their experiments with forcing a relationship between Innocence and human had failed miserably. They would never try it again. However, they were considering building a massive "Innocence Cannon". It would run on all of the Innocence that they could fit in it, and would fire off huge blasts of pure Innocence laced energy, directly at the enemy lines. There was no guarantee that the Exorcists wouldn't get hurt in the process, and unfortunately, if it hit Lou Fa, she would be destroyed almost instantly, after an excruciatingly painful stint of being ripped apart at the seams by the ill fated mix of Dark Matter and Innocence, natural antitheses, of course.

However, this didn't seem to disturb any of the exorcists, least of all Lou Fa, who claimed that if the cannon would help win the war, she would be happy to die at its hands… so to speak. She didn't relish death, but neither was she so attached to life, or unlife as it was, that she would be afraid to lose it. If there was anything that she would regret in dying before the end of the war, it would be not being able to see what became of Allen. She had at first been madly in love with him. Then, he betrayed her, and naturally, she felt hurt and stupid, and all those other things. But now… It wasn't hatred, love, or pity that she felt for him… It was sympathy. She wanted to be able to see him make the right choices, whatever that meant for everyone else. She didn't care about Road any further than that Allen seemed to truly love her, and Lou Fa wouldn't want to see him hurt over her death. Beyond that though, she meant nothing to Lou Fa personally. The rest of the Noah Clan could all die for all she cared. Not Allen, though. There was something that she needed to settle with him first. Something she still needed to talk to him about. She needed to find out if he was happy with his decision to embrace his Noah, and abandon God. She had to know. And so, before either of them died, she would find out.

Meanwhile, Allen was still despairing over his predicament. He had questions still that he wanted to ask Lou Fa, but he was afraid of the answers. Not just Lou Fa, though. He wanted to ask some questions of Lenalee, and even Kanda. No. It wasn't going to end that way. He was a Noah, and Noahs hated exorcists unconditionally. He would never forgive God… Never forgive the Innocence….

_The storm_

He could feel the power of countless generations past of Noah coursing through him, of Adam and of the beginning of time.

_Death._

That was what Noah had come to represent. Death.

_Fear._

The Noah would rule by terror, striking fear into the hearts of all that saw them. Their horrifying gray tinged countenance showing all who was superior.

_Hatred._

Hatred of God. Hatred of Innocence. Hatred of the Exorcists, and of the Dark Order… And of humanity, who had been corrupted and turned toward God in a desperate and futile attempt to escape death. Only the Noah could escape death. They were the only ones worthy of being immortal. Allen could feel it now. The Dark Matter, power of death, yet immortality… The power of truth, yet of fear. It was coursing through him, bubbling up inside, evolving, making him strong, preparing him for the upcoming apocalypse that would surely end the world. But then, a new world would be reborn from the rubble, with Allen and his loyal Noah at the helm, lording over all as supreme godlike beings. Lou Fa, Lenalee, Kanda, Lavi, Miranda, Krory… All of them would be dead. They were not worthy of living in Allen's new world, and their existence would be erased utterly for it.

Suddenly, Allen gasped in agony. He could feel his flesh warping, changing to better suit the Dark Matter that was flowing rampant through his veins. His head pulsed and throbbed, burning white hot as though it were on fire. As this happened, a black flame erupted around him, causing him to roar in shock and pain. Slowly, very slowly, horns began to sprout from his head, and twist their way up, giving him the appearance of a demon. His stark white hair began to grow longer and longer, flapping in the howling wind that was raging all around him. The transformation into his true Noah form was beginning, and there was nothing that he could do to stop it. In a way, it was exciting, but in another way, it was terrifying, feeling the last vestiges of his humanity slip away from his fingers, which were growing longer and thinner, and growing long, razor sharp talons at the ends. Black, leathery wings sprouted from his back, and spikes grew out from each vertebra of his spine before the spine itself began to grow longer out of his tailbone, creating a bone tail with spiky protrusions at the end. One of his arms now resembled his old Crown Clown Innocence, except made of Dark Matter, and stark white, with bone claws.

His body looked as if it was liquid, now, warping and changing like there were no bones left inside of him. His teeth rippled and grew longer and sharper, and his eyes elongated, and turned a crimson red. Slowly, black, marks appeared all over his body, creating a rippling effect that made him appear to be no more substantial than mist itself. His flesh bubbled and burst, and bone spikes began forcing their way out of his knees, and elbows, and creating bone armor down his arms and shins.

Slowly, the fire died down, and the wind stopped, and Allen came to rest on the floor, gasping for air, although he knew he didn't need it. Half his face was now covered in a pitch black mask that seemed to suck in all the light around it, and smoke billowed off his body, slowly dying down, though. He groaned a deep, low, guttural growl, and stood up, testing his new form. He was stronger… And faster… And he had new powers that he had lacked before, powers that even the Earl had never dreamed of. It was the frightening combination of his vampire and his Noah that gave him these powers, and he knew that he had to use them to their fullest in the rapidly approaching war. Now was the perfect time to attack, too. The Exorcists wouldn't know what hit them. He looked at the Noahs around him, who had all gathered to see what had been going on. He had finally put together the entire Noah Family, and he was going to use that to his advantage. He looked at them and spoke in a carrying, echoing voice quite unlike his own. His voice also had a chilling quality to it that frightened even Road. She was afraid, now. She didn't know Allen anymore. It was like he was a completely different being from the sweet, gentle, kind exorcist that he had once been. She had loved that Allen so much, and now, he had become a true monster, a being of incalculable power, and incomprehensible evil and hatred. Even she was unsettled.

"My family…" Allen said with a grin, although it came out more like a sneer. "We are finally all together once more, and the time has come to make war on the Dark Order. We set out now, knowing that all of us may not come back, but that any sacrifice made will be remembered. As it was meant to be, we shall rule this world, and the Exorcists shall know true fear and agony as they breathe their dying breaths."

The Noahs around him nodded, and together, they made their way to London, where the final confrontation would inevitably be held. There was no choice anymore… Only destiny, and Allen knew his destiny.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Eight

"Oh, my… Cross. You're being so affectionate tonight." Klaud Nyne giggled, quite uncharacteristically of her personality, although the three bottles of wine that they had both drunk probably helped a bit. Cross nodded silently, and kissed Klaud again, this time, holding the kiss longer, and running his hands along her sides, causing her to shudder in pleasure. They had been doing this for some time, probably almost half an hour… It had only become serious, though, in the last ten minutes, when their kissing became passionate, and their touches, hot and empowered by their mutual love, a love that Cross had long thought himself incapable of. He couldn't deny, though, that it felt good to be with Klaud Nyne that night, no responsibilities, no work, just quiet, alone time… Well, not that quiet, but alone, notwithstanding.

Just as Cross was about to begin unbuttoning Klaud Nyne's jacket, though, the alarm went off, signaling that there was an attack on HQ. Cross cursed and shook his head, clearing his thoughts and instantly going into battle mode. Both he and Klaud Nyne grabbed their Innocence and ran out the door, heading toward the scene of the crime. When they got there, though, they could hardly believe their eyes. They knew which one Allen was instantly, but it was hard to believe that his body had been so hideously warped by the Dark Matter inside of him.

"Hello, Master, General Nyne… It is good to see you again…" Allen said with an icy glint in his golden eyes. There was not a hint in there that he was actually happy to see them, though.

"Ah, and my old friends… Kanda, Lenalee… Lou Fa. I do hope that my new façade does not unsettle you. I would not want to think that I was responsible for upsetting my friends."

"It's far too late for that, Allen…" Lenalee said sadly, looking at Kanda, tears sliding down her cheeks. She hated looking upon what Allen had become. He used to be such a kind, gentle soul, incapable of killing another human, even if they were Noah. Now, though, he was a monster. And she had to treat him as such, and destroy him with extreme prejudice, whether she wanted to or not.

"You hurt all of us when you betrayed the Order. How could you turn your back on all of your friends!" She sobbed, nearly breaking down now, her body racked with tears. Kanda knelt down next to her, but apparently, Allen remained unmoved.

"I betrayed you! I turned _my_ back!" Allen screamed, now enraged. "NO! God turned his back on me! God betrayed me! I served the Order and your fucking God loyally for years, giving up my entire life for the sake of the world, and then as soon as he no longer needs me, he kicks me out on my ass! I trusted God! And he gave me a death sentence from the moment I was born!" Allen shrieked, now in a completely irrational rage, Dark Matter flying out from him in a pure destructive aura that was causing everything around him to be leveled.

"I'm sure that God had a reason for ending your life early, Allen!" Lenalee pleaded. Allen was not to be reasoned with, though.

"WHAT POSSIBLE REASON COULD HE HAVE TO KILL ME! I was a good person! I devoted everything to him! But now, he can just die! And you can die, too!" Allen snarled, suddenly in front of Lenalee, barely giving her time to gasp in shock before he ran her through her stomach with his sharp clawed hand. Lenalee grunted in pain and fell to her knees. Allen had not gone all the way through, but he had ripped open her stomach, and she was now bleeding internally. Lavi ran over to her side, grabbing her before she hit the ground.

"Lenalee!" He yelled. There was not much that he could do, though. He looked up resentfully at Allen, but could do no more, as he was without an Innocence.

"Noah… The time has come to revenge ourselves on God and the Order. Take no prisoners. They all must die…" Allen said heartlessly.

And so, the final battle began in a clash of heat, blood, sweat and tears, those who could just as easily have been friends, had the circumstances been different, were now fighting to the death. Allen looked around at the Noah as they fought the exorcists, seemingly enjoying the battle. He was quite pleased with the results of this invasion. Soon, Lenalee would be dead, for there was no way that she could survive a wound like that without some sort of regenerative ability. Before he was able to reflect for too long, though, Cross attacked him, firing Judgment at him. Allen dodged the bullets, then ran from them, watching as they slowly closed in on him. He smirked, though, and merely turned around, swatting the bullets away.

"You might be more successful with holy water, Master."

"Perhaps. Or maybe, I can simply use this…" Cross replied, activating Grave of Maria, and causing Allen to instantly be frozen in place. Allen cursed, unable to do anything as Cross fired six bullets at him, all of which hit dead on, making a cross shape across Allen's back. He roared in agony as the bullets seared through him, doing their work, just as Innocence was supposed to do.

Cross knew that he couldn't keep Allen frozen forever, and sure enough, soon, Allen was able to move again, and he flashed around to Cross's side, and swiped at him with his long claws, which Cross barely evaded. Allen didn't stop, though, he merely used the Earl's powers to create lightning, which he directed at Cross, some of which hit, but most of it just flew off to the side, and destroyed some extremely large objects. Cross gasped in pain as the lightning hit him, but forced himself to keep going. He knew that Allen was powerful, but he couldn't allow him to destroy everything that he held dear. In the next moment, though, Allen was behind him, and in the next moment after, he had sunk his claws right into Cross's back, and was directing lightning right into his body. Cross screamed in pain as the lightning destroyed him from the inside out, and finally, when Allen was done, he fell to the ground, barely able to move, his nerves completely shot.

Lou Fa had seen this, and ran over, standing before Allen, her weapon drawn. She looked at Allen, tears in her eyes as well, and Allen stared back coldly, no trace of a smile on his face.

"I will face you, Mr. Walker… And I will defeat you… Even if it costs me my life. I love you, despite all of the horrible things that you've done, and now I know that part of loving you means stopping you before you destroy the world with your insanity."

"How quaint. Well, I suppose I can spare a few moments to make you feel as though you've accomplished something in life… Or undeath, as the case may be." Allen said in an amused tone, disappearing, and reappearing behind Lou Fa. She had already been prepared for this, though, and set up a barrier, which blasted Allen back when he tried to use his lightning. Cursing, he got to his feet again, reminding himself to be quicker. Lou Fa was apparently stronger, and cleverer than he had anticipated. Now, though, Lou Fa went on the offensive, sending bolts of Innocence laced force at Allen, all of which he dodged by instinct alone. She then sent five more at him, though, and two hit dead on, leaving a gaping hole in his chest where his right lung would be. He gasped, but then laughed, and attacked again, giving her a lecture as he did.

"Because your weapon has Innocence in it, my wounds don't heal quickly like they normally would. But they still heal far faster than any human's. Just as Allen was about to flash behind Lou Fa again, though, Lou Fa flashed behind Allen and slashed him, using fire via her vampiric powers. Allen cursed as the flames seared his flesh, making it harder to heal. He jumped away, though, and then flashed back at her. The two collided in a crash of lightning and fire, causing massive devastation all around, and a fair amount of damage to both of them. Lou Fa fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder, which had been shattered, and Allen fell to his knee, with no broken bones, but a great deal of injury to his body.

Lou Fa waited as her shoulder healed, and as soon as she could move it again, she ran at Allen again, this time, growing a razor sharp blade out of her forearm, and surrounding it with the black flames that she had used previously. Allen gasped. She had gotten the hang of her vampiric powers quickly. She would have made a great vampire. It was just a shame that she had to die. And so, Allen focused the electricity in his hands, and flashed forward to make a head on attack on Lou Fa, this time, fully intending to kill her. It didn't work that way, though. At the last minute, mere milliseconds after she had attacked him, dealing only minimal damage, she threw up a shield of Innocence, causing Allen immeasurable pain as he was caught inside of it. Soon, though, it ended, when Lou Fa let it down, and faced Allen.

"Give up now. You can still do the right thing, Allen!" Lou Fa begged. Allen just laughed, though, expending a great deal of Dark Matter, and instantly, all of his wounds were healed.

"Well, I am impressed, Lou Fa. You managed to force me to use that power. I can only use it twice per day, as far as I know, because it expends so much energy to do so. You may have even felt the energy leaving my body, and now, I am considerably weaker for it. It is good for defensive purposes, though."

"Fine! Then I suppose I have no choice but to kill you."

"I would like to see you try…:" Allen sneered, standing up and attacking again. He had been right, though. He was much slower, and as he attacked, it was clear that he was much weaker. His blows didn't hurt nearly as much, although they were still difficult to bear. He was fighting more unpredictably, though, almost like a berserker, with no real strategy, merely mad energy, and raw power. Lou Fa's attacks were beginning to make more headway, though, and she found that each attack of hers weakened him more than it had before. So thrilled was she, that she was beginning to become incautious, and so, finally, Allen made one attack that sent her flying into the wall at mach speed, shattering her arms and ribs.

She fell to the ground, gasping in agony, knowing now that she had lost. Her vision, although she was supposed to be a vampire, was going hazy, and she was sure that she was nearing the end. But then, she felt a warm presence inside her, completely different from the cold, indifferent power of Dark Matter that usually kept her going. Her Innocence was reacting strangely to her dying state, and revivifying her. She could feel her arms and ribs mending themselves, and knew that God was giving her one last chance to save the world, to save Allen's soul, and to save her friends.

As Allen drew nearer, and nearer, she didn't dare twitch a muscle, knowing that she needed to wait for exactly the right moment. She waited for one second… then two… then three, and… BAM! She slammed Allen hard in the chest with an Innocence enhanced punch that sent him flying. He cursed loudly as Lou Fa advanced on him, and gripped him tightly, seemingly siphoning Dark Matter out of him. It wasn't her most powerful move by far, but it was good for the occasion, because it stopped him from using his total heal power again. Finally, she let go, and threw him down to the floor, where he lay, broken, and knowing that he was about to die. He had never been afraid of death before, but now… now, he was terrified, and not only because he would be without Road, but because he knew that God would no longer accept him. Hell frightened Allen, as well it should. Lou Fa deactivated her Innocence, though, and walked over to Allen. She was sure… Or at least she had a good feeling that he wasn't dangerous anymore.

"Why? W-why aren't you finishing the job?" Allen asked angrily.

"Because I need to talk to you, Mr. Walker. I need to know if you feel any remorse at all over this…"

"Remorse. That is a strange way of putting it, Lou Fa. Can a vampire… can a Noah feel remorse? Do we have a conscience, or, is that moral compass, like our life, dead and gone? I do not know the answer to that. But if what you are asking is if I would have done anything differently, then the answer is yes. I would not have become a vampire. I should have accepted my death when it was time to do so. Perhaps I have been struggling with these feelings, even after I thought that I had resolved them, resolved to hate the Exorcists, and God. I would not have hurt you as I have done, nor would I have betrayed my friends. If you are asking if I would have chosen not to become involved with Road, though… The answer is no. I still would have done so. I love her, and I will not stop loving her simply because you tell me that she is a bad person."

"Mr. Walker… Perhaps the Noah and the Exorcists are not so different after all."

"Please, do not call me Mr. Walker. Call me Allen," the Noah said quietly, reaching up and touching Lou Fa's face one last time. Just as he did, though, a bolt of Dark Matter struck Lou Fa through the back. It had come from Tyki Mikk, who had fired it at her as she was talking to Allen. In the next moment, though, Kanda killed Mikk, the last of the Noah still standing… And so, with innumerable casualties on both sides, the Noah Family was no more.

Allen groaned. He was sure that he had been dead just a second ago, but now, there was a bright light all around him. He slowly opened his eyes, and looked around, still squinting, but able to sort of see.

"Greetings, Mr. Walker. I must say that I expected you some time ago. It is a pity that we could not have met then instead of now, eh?" asked a slender man with raven black hair slicked back and a business suit with angel wings coming out the back. This "angel" sort of ruined his image with the business suit, and the book that he was scribbling furiously in.

"I guess. Why am I here, though?"

"Why do you think? You are dead. You stand before the gates of Heaven to be judged… And let me tell you, it isn't pretty… However, yours was an unusual case. You defeated the Earl, thereby unwillingly taking up his mantle, and now, you are here being judged as the Earl. God does not forget his debts, of course, and to you, Allen Walker, he owes a great debt. You restored balance to the world, even if you did almost destroy it once again. And so, on God's behalf, you may make a wish."

"R-Road is dead, isn't she?"

"Yes. She died with the rest of the Noah."

"I wish she could have another chance."

"Ooh… Sorry, Allen. That is not a wish that I can grant. She was already given a second chance after she died the first time. Most people use their wish to get a second chance for themselves, actually."

"I don't deserve another chance." Allen said sadly. The angel walked over to Allen and put a hand on his shoulder.

"How about this. You wish for Road to get a second chance, right?"

"More than anything."

"Okay. I can't do that. She has made her choice, and she must suffer the consequences, but if you can live an exemplary life from now until you die again, I will consider both your debts repaid. To earn that, though, you must prove that you have truly repented."

"I understand. Will I… Get to see my friends again?"

"Maybe. Who can say? It's a big world out there, but there's always that chance. So this is goodbye."

"No. This is see you again…" Allen said with a smile, as he disappeared."


	30. Chapter 30

Epilogue

"And so, that's how Lou Fa and I met. I know it's a strange story, and now you see why we didn't want to tell you until you were older."

"You would've been better off telling it to me when I was three, dad…" A red haired boy with brown eyes said indifferently. "I might have actually believed it then."

"That's alright, Mana-kun. I didn't really expect either of you to believe me."

Allen and Lou Fa's other child suddenly chimed in, though.

"I-I believe you… A-am I named after your old girlfriend, Dad?"

"Yes. I actually have a picture of her, if you want to see her…"

"Ooh! Really!"

"Well, your mom was nice enough to allow me to keep this photo," Allen said sheepishly with a laugh, taking it out of his pocket, and showing it to Mana and Road, who stared at the girl in it.

"Wow, Dad. She's super pretty. What happened to her?"

"Oh, well… She died, along with the other Noah. I believe that I'll see her again someday, though. O-of course, she could never replace you, dear…" Allen added quickly, laughing nervously, and kissing Lou Fa, before standing up and going out to the kitchen to make dinner.

**The End**

Well, that's it. I hope that you liked it. I worked for ages on it, and it's probably the best piece of work I've done (and it's a real piece of work)… Haha. Get it? I know, bad joke. Please read and review.


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